What Your Eyes Can't See
by LilFlow
Summary: Alfred F Jones lives an ordinary life with his twin, trying to find a job while looking after the house for their parents. But all that gets chucked out the window when he has to go and be all heroic and rescue the guy who passed out in the rain. USUK AU
1. The Boy in the Rain

**What Your Eyes Can't See**

_Chapter One_

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* * *

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"Master Arthur!"

The voices rang out through the darkness as footsteps dashed through the wet grassland. His cloak billowed out behind him as he struggled to hold his hood up to cover his face. He was running, but he knew that eventually they would catch up with him.

"I'll distract them, Arthur, hurry up and go!"

"Francis!" The man next to him stopped suddenly, giving him a sly grin as he turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness, his shoulder-length blonde hair glittering slightly as he went.

"Bloody frog." He gasped, tearing off through the nearby trees. "It's his fault if they catch him."

It felt like he had been running for hours nonstop. His legs were like lead under him, but he refused to give up. He was almost there. Almost… there!

He skidded to a halt in the clearing. The moon was in full view, unmasked by the surrounding woods. The small circle of grass was illuminated, fireflies dancing around him like stars. He'd been there before of course, but never to do what he was there for this time.

He took a step forward, feeling the magic tingle in his fingertips as he did so. This really was a powerful place. He lowered his hood, breathing in the crisp night air as the moon lit up his features, his short blonde hair glistening in the cool light and his eyes shining like emeralds.

"Master Arthur!"

The voices were getting closer. He could practically hear them stumbling through the trees after him.

He hurried to take the remaining few steps into the centre of the green, stepping over the stone that marked the middle, shaped like a star beneath the full moon above it.

Raising his hand in front of him he felt the magic in the area rush through his entire being, running through what felt like the very strands of his sandy hair to the soles of his feet. The rain had silenced and the wind had stopped, leaving him blanketed in the quiet night time light as the spell started to unveil itself.

His magic sparked into life, coiling a pale green light out of the stone and around him, sending his cloak flying out behind him as a sudden gust of air shot past him. Closing his eyes he felt the light growing around him, enveloping him completely.

"Master!"

People burst into the clearing. They looked panic stricken, observing their master summoning the very depths of his powers in front of their very eyes.

He turned, opening his eyes to see them start to run towards him once more. He smiled and then just as the first reached out to grasp hold of his cloak, he disappeared, the green light of his magic vanishing from the circle, leaving only the light of the moon to shine down on them.

* * *

"Al, I'm going out!"

The blonde stood up, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and poking his slightly wavy hair behind his ear. He grabbed an umbrella as he headed for the front door of the townhouse.

"You are? But Matt it's chucking it down out there." Another, very similar looking boy stuck his head around the doorframe, looking from his brother to the open door to the rain that was plummeting to the earth.

"I'm going over to Gilbert's. We're having a study session. Don't look at me like that, Alfred." Matthew frowned at him, knowing exactly what his twin was thinking.

"Gil doesn't study, Matt. He just pretends to so that you'll go over there." Alfred's mouth made a thin line, remembering what had happened the last time he had gone to meet Matthew from the German teen's house. It wasn't a pleasant memory.

"Why can't you just accept it, Al? We're not little kids anymore. I'm starting college soon; I need to get ready for it."

"Spending time with Gilbert isn't getting ready for college."

"Well have you found a job yet?" It was Matthew's turn to accusing the taller twin this time, glaring into Alfred's too blue eyes.

"Just get going if you're going." Alfred disappeared back into the next room, ignoring the look his brother gave him.

Matthew huffed, peering out of the front door once more before raising his umbrella and heading out into the dark evening. The rain hammered on the material above his head, thumping unpleasantly in his ears.

The road outside the house was starting to look more like a river after the day's rain and it didn't look like it was going to let up any time soon. _What a pain…_

It was only then that he saw it. A long shape slumped on the ground under the light of the streetlamp.

A long mottled green cloak covered most of the figure and was soaked through from the rain. The man's blonde hair stuck to his face as his body shivered despite the fact that he was clearly unconscious. His face was ghostly pale, even in the electric light's orange glow.

Matthew snapped back to reality, realising that he had let the umbrella fall down in front of him and that he was getting unreasonably wet because of it.

He turned on his heel, sprinting back to the house and bursting through the front door. "Alfred!"

"What is it now?" His other blonde reappeared in the doorway, scowling at him. "I thought you were going out."

"I am. I was." The smaller twin panted, leaning over so that his hands rested on his knees. "There's someone out there."

"What?" Alfred tilted his head to one side, contemplating his brother for a few seconds. "Was someone following you, 'cause if they were then-!"

"No!" Matthew caught his breath back, finally managing to look the identical man in the face again. "There's someone unconscious out there! I need some help moving him."

"You're kidding?" Alfred grumbled, searching the small hallway for his trainers. "What kind of idiot passes out in the rain? Come on then."

Alfred strode out the door in front of the younger twin, ignoring the rain that started pelting him as soon as he took a step outside.

"I meant to call an ambulance!" Matthew shouted over the rain, hurrying to catch up.

"You mad?" Alfred glanced over his shoulder, grinning at him. "That's not something a hero like me would do! I'll save them myself!"

Matt sighed. His brother had always been like this: the hero complexed, dense idiot. It wasn't that he was stupid. No, quite the opposite. He had brains, he just refused to _use_ them. For example, even though Alfred had pretty much been considered a genius at school without having to put much effort into studying, he had opted not to go to college like his more creative twin, and just look for work. This was a decision that had not been endorsed by their parents, who had left to travel without another word to their oldest son, instead centring their attention on the quieter twin and his choice to continue on with his education at the local college, even though his subject choice wasn't entirely academic.

Unlike Alfred, who had always excelled in the more science based subjects and gym, Matthew was better at subjects with a more creative twist, he also took pride in the fact that he was better at languages than his boisterous brother, and was practically fluent in French by the end of their high school career. Which was why, in fact, he had chosen to continue studying it. That and it was easier to insult Alfred without him realising it if he could do it in an entirely different language.

At that current moment in time, he was awkwardly holding the umbrella over Alfred as his twin hauled the unconscious man onto his back, mumbling under his breath about the wait of the figure's cloak (_"Who wears these things anyway? How old fashioned can you get?_"). The task was made even harder on the trek back to the house. Alfred had always been the taller twin, and the added height of the man on his back made holding the umbrella over all three of them practically impossible.

"Stop whining and get the door open!" Alfred groaned, shifting the man's weight further up his back so he was easier to carry. "You're not the one carrying him!"

Matthew did as he was told without saying anything else, instead just watching as Alfred hefted the soaking man over the threshold and into the living room, depositing him on the sofa before collapsing on the floor next to it.

"I'll go find a towel or something."

Alfred looked around as his brother disappeared out of the room. It was dark despite the fact that it was still summer, the rain not looking as if it was going to let up for some time.

He turned his attention to the man that was now lying across the length of the sofa, still very much out-cold. His clothes were even more out-of-date than he had first thought, looking as if he was wearing some sort of fancy robe and dress trousers under his long, rain-soaked cloak. Despite that, though, the clothes suited him, even if he did look incredibly stuffy in them, like someone straight out of the middle-ages.

His hair was short and stuck to his face from the amount of water that covered him. Alfred imagined that it would probably be an even lighter blonde than his when it was dry. Then he saw the man's eyebrows and had to clamp his hand over his mouth to stop himself from letting out a bark of laughter. They were _huge_! Seriously, who on earth let their eyebrows look like _that_? Though, that being said, it wasn't as if they didn't suit the man. _Weird…_

Actually, on closer inspection, the man, no matter how odd he looked, appeared to be quite young. He didn't look any older than Alfred himself, so why was he passed out in the rain dressed like he had just come from some stodgy cult meeting. He was also fairly short. Well, shorter than him anyway.

Matt re-entered the room, passing a towel to Alfred so that he could help to dry their guest. By the looks of it, he had already attempted to run a towel through his own hair and it was sticking up in odd places, not including that random piece of hair that always seemed to have a life of its own and loop upwards away from the rest of his hair. This was something else the twins seemed to have in common, as Alfred's own cowlick was also stubbornly defying gravity despite his hair being utterly drenched.

"He hasn't shown any signs of waking up?" Matthew leant over the man, placing a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. "Feels like he's got a bit of a fever."

"Aren't you going out?" Alfred didn't bother to look up at Matt, instead using the towel he was handed to dry his own hair.

"I called Gilbert to say I couldn't make it." The younger twin sighed, leaning on the arm of the sofa, "There's no way I'm leaving you to look after this guy, who knows what you'd do?"

"I'm not some axe murderer!" Alfred pouted, poking his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Whatever." Matt stood up again, stretching and shaking his damp hair out of his eyes. "Anyway, I don't think we should leave him there like that. His fever will get worse if he stays in those wet clothes. I think mom kept some of our old clothes that might fit him. What we've got now would be too big by the looks of it."

"Hmm." Alfred pulled the towel back off his head, ruffling his hair back into the right place, clearing not paying attention to what his brother was saying.

"See if you can get him dried off a bit while I'm looking, will you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, and he can sleep in your bed."

"Yeah… wait- what? Matt! No, that's not fair!"

* * *

He was lying on something soft. It was warm and comfortable, but also felt unfamiliar at the same time.

Arthur opened his eyes, letting them become accustomed to the clear morning light, only to find himself in a very foreign looking room. The walls were painted a deep shade of blue and were covered in what looked like brightly coloured parchments, all with different designs and patterns littering them, looking entirely mismatched. As well as the usual bedroom furniture, there were some devices that he had never seen before, looking as if they were made out of smooth metallic materials, one of which was displaying a screen full of small text which was illegible from where he was positioned under the bedcovers, which were a similar colour to the walls with a large logo that looked like a red 'S' inside a red and yellow triangle.

Then what had happened the previous night came flooding back into his mind. The woods, that clearing, using his magic to disappear in front of his followers' eyes. The thrill of it all. And now where had he ended up? Somewhere completely different from his own world by the looks of it.

He pulled back the covers, noticing that he was no longer dressed in his own clothes, but instead a button down shirt and a tatty pair of trousers, that looked as if they had seen better days but were still comfortable enough, if not a bit too large for his small frame.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took a closer look around the room. Clothes and personal possessions were scattered all over the floor, leaving very little of the carpet visible underneath it all. Most of the furniture was made out of a plain wood, much less elaborate than what he was used to. There was, however, one small window, letting in enough sunlight to illuminate the entire room.

He crossed to it, making sure not to step on anything in the process, pulling the shutters apart with his fingers. What he saw, however, quickly made him drop the blinds again, recoiling backwards until his shins made contact with something hard. He staggered sideways slightly, holding where his leg had hit a particularly solid writing desk.

What _was_ that out there? The world was grey! The buildings were all identical greyish-red brick, the pathways were what looked like solid grey stone, next to even darker roads. There was no green in sight! No trees, no grass, not even the slightest sign of a single flower! The only colour was in a clouded over blue sky. Such a cold, heartless world exists?

"Oh, you're up?"

Alfred shunted the door open with his foot, making his way inside. He placed a tray on one of the side-tables next to the bed before leaning back on the wall, observing his guest.

"Matt said you'd probably be awake by now so he made me bring you up some breakfast." He jerked his head at the tray. "It's porridge. Don't worry, it's not poisoned or anything. He said it'd help your fever go down."

Arthur was becoming painfully aware of his growing headache, and did nothing more but stare at the stranger who had entered the room and offered him food. He was steadily feeling more and more sick as he realised what he had landed himself in. He was in some strange world that he knew nothing of and had woken up in a stranger's house.

He felt his legs wobble as his knees buckled underneath him, but he didn't hit the floor.

"Hey! You okay?" Alfred caught him, supporting him under his arms. "You should lie back down if you're still not feeling well." He guided the smaller blonde back to the bed, practically forcing him back underneath the thick duvet. "Rest, okay? And eat the porridge. Matt's a great cook and he always puts extra syrup on porridge!"

Alfred perched on the edge of the bed, moving the tray so that the man could access it more easily. He still hadn't spoken, which the teen thought was strange considering how he'd just woken up in someone else's house and not his own. He was also wearing Matt's clothes, which must've shocked him at least a little bit.

Arthur took a spoonful of the porridge, startled slightly by the sweet gooey substance that was on top of it, surprised to find that the flavour was actually very good. This evidently showed on his face because the stranger laughed.

"You like it, huh?" Alfred grinned, leaning back on his hands. "Be sure to let Matt know. He'll be over the moon. Oh yeah! I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones! Hero extraordinaire!"

Arthur smiled, and opened his mouth to introduce himself in turn, but no sound came out. He stopped, placing the spoon back down in the bowl, staring down at it in dismay.

He couldn't talk.

What had happened? Had the transfer gone wrong? Was something wrong with his magic? Oh God! What if he'd used it all up?

Alfred had obviously noticed that something was wrong and was looking concernedly over at him. "What's wrong? Can't you talk, or something?"

He frowned slightly, then shook his head, sighing inwardly. This was going to be difficult.

"Hang on a sec." Alfred jumped up from the bed, nearly overturning the tray if Arthur hadn't grabbed it in time, and proceeded to start rummaging through the desk drawers. "Ta-daah!" He held up a notebook covered in blue and white stars as well as a matching pen, handing them to Arthur, who took them, looking bewilderedly at Alfred. "Well, you can write, right?" Arthur nodded. "So I can talk, and you can write down what you want to say!"

His grin widened, obviously extremely proud of his plan. Arthur breathed out a laugh, shaking his head as he smiled and opened the small book, having a slight problem with the pen before Alfred helped him to click it into operation.

"_My name is Arthur Kirkland._" He wrote down in perfect looped handwriting that Alfred had to squint at to read.

"Arthur?" He read out. "Awesome! Pleased to meet you, Arthur!"

"_Likewise._" Arthur looked up at the laughing boy, smiling lightly back at him. A thought came to him and he started scribbling down on the paper again. "_What happened to my clothes?_"

"Hm?" Alfred quickly flicked over the question. "Oh, they were soaked and covered in mud so Mattie was gonna wash them. I changed your clothes for you, is that okay?"

Arthur nodded, "_That's perfectly alright. Thank you._"

A knock came at the door and Matthew's head appeared around the frame. "Oh, I thought I heard talking. I hope my brother isn't annoying you too much."

"I am not!" Alfred pouted at his twin, reminding Arthur of the children back home.

"In _any_ case." Matt continued, ignoring his brother's protests. "I hope you're feeling better this morning, you were running a high fever when we found you out in the rain last night. You'd best finish your porridge, Mr…"

"He says his name's Arthur." Alfred helped out, grinning between the two other blondes. "He can't speak Mattie, so I gave him my notebook to help out. How great is that idea, huh? It's awesome, right!"

"Is that right?" He ignored Alfred again. "Well then feel free to come downstairs when you're feeling better. I'm sure Alfred will bring down the dishes when you're finished with them."

"You don't have to order me around!"

"Later, then." And Matt swept back out of the room, leaving them alone again.

"Sheesh!" Alfred sat up on his desk, absently fiddling with the touchpad on his laptop. "Well, I'd do as he says and eat, if I were you. Otherwise he'll just come up and moan again."

Arthur absentmindedly watched the other blonde, still picking at the spoon in the bowl before discarding it again and picking up the pad.

"_What's that?_" He tapped the paper to get Alfred's attention again.

"Hm?" Alfred pushed his glasses up again, "What? This? You haven't seen a laptop before?"

He shook his head.

"Wow, really?" Alfred was gaping at him, rather rudely if he had any say in the matter, but he simply ignored it. "Where do you come from if you haven't seen a laptop before? I mean, I thought you were just drunk or something when Mattie found you last night, but with the clothes and all I'm guessing that I was wrong."

Arthur scowled, scribbling down furiously on the page. "_I was NOT drunk!_"

"Okay, okay. Sorry, alright? It was only 'cause we found you out in the rain." He paused, tilting his head childishly. "So where _are_ you from?"

"_Not from anywhere around here._" Arthur paused, frowning slightly down at the tray next to him.

"Well that much is obvious." Alfred laughed, crossing to sit on the end of the bed. "Are you European or something? You looked like you'd jumped straight out of some British medieval fantasy thing."

"_I always wear clothes like that. Isn't it normal here?_"

"No frikken way!" Alfred pulled at his shirt, "Do I look like I'm wearing a dress?"

"_It's not a dress!_" Arthur scowled over at him again, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Whatever." The taller blonde grinned, stretching out across the end of the bed. "Dude! Are you gonna eat or what?"

* * *

"So has your fever gone down at all?"

"_Yes, I'm feeling a lot better, thank you._"

Arthur was sitting on top of the bedclothes, finishing up the meal that Matthew had brought up for him. Matthew himself was sitting at Alfred's desk, flicking through the pages of a textbook, glancing over at their guest every now and then to make idle conversation. He still found it slightly odd to talk to someone who had to reply via his brother's old notebook.

"That's good. I've been worried about having you cooped up in here all this time. Al hasn't been bothering you too much, has he?"

"_No, he's been alright, if a little boisterous at times._"

Matt chuckled, that was Alfred alright. "Sometimes I wonder if we're twins at all. I can never relate to anything that he does."

"_He is very excitable, isn't he?_"

"You can say that again."

"_Where is he, by the way?_"

"Hm? Oh, he's downstairs playing video games with Kiku." He sighed, crossing the room to retrieve the now empty plate from the other man.

"_Kiku?_"

"One of his friends from school. They've both got their heads stuck in those zombie games that he always gets his hands on. He _should_ be trying to get a job!"

The doorbell jangled off from downstairs, something that Arthur had now become used to as the twins friends had passed in and out of the house over the last couple of days.

"Matt! Door!" Alfred's voice came bellowing up the stairs.

"Get it yourself!" Matthew yelled back, though his voice was considerably quieter than his brother's. He grumbled, then left the room, knowing only too well that Alfred would _not _answer the door.

Arthur frowned, hearing the front door open and close again before a familiar voice cackled from the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. _Matthew's friend…_

In all honesty, he had had quite enough of being left in Alfred's bedroom by himself. Of course the twins had their own lives to live, but it was so bloody annoying having nothing to do and having no idea what half of the strange devices in the teen's room did.

He pushed himself up off of the bed, ignoring the dizziness that swept over him as he stood up. He paused at the door, unsure about going outside, having only left the room to go to the bathroom which Alfred had directed him to.

There was more noise coming from downstairs upon the arrival of the other man, who Arthur had learnt that Alfred was not overly fond of for being "waaay too friendly" with the younger twin.

"Why can't you mind your fucking business?" The slightly accented voice trailed out into the hallway. _Here they go again…_

Arthur supported himself on the handrail, carefully stepping down each stair. His head was still feeling ever so slightly cloudy. Maybe getting up wasn't such a good idea after all…

"Why can't _you_ keep your German ass out of my house?"

"Al, stop shouting…" There was no way Matthew could be heard over the other two's bickering.

He peered around the door, immediately spotting Alfred and the other teen (was he albino?), still shouting at each other, with Matthew standing a few paces away, trying to usher them into being quiet. A fourth, dark-haired boy was seated on the floor, evidently used to the situation at hand, and was continuing to fiddle with a small black box in his hands while staring at the screen of the television (that _was_ what Alfred had called it, wasn't it?).

"So what if I'm spending time with Matt? That's his choice, not yours!"

"Gilbert, please…" He was drowned out again.

"He's _my_ brother!"

"He doesn't need you making decisions for him!"

"Guys!"

"Besides! I like spending time with him, and he likes being with the awesome me!"

"The only awesome one here is me!"

"Guys!"

"There's someone standing by the door." The Asian boy spoke up, gesturing to where Arthur was standing and, effectively, ending the argument.

Arthur started, his eyes darting from one person to another as their attention fell on him. He'd left the notebook upstairs. _Bollocks…_

"Oh? And who's this?" The albino, Gilbert, smirked, looking Arthur up and down, his reddish eyes boring into his small frame. "You guys didn't tell me you were harbouring someone."

"It's not like that and you know it." Alfred huffed, crossing the room. "You shouldn't be out of bed yet."

Alfred, despite his usual abundance of energy, seemed the slightest bit menacing after the heat of the argument, and Arthur found himself unconsciously taking a couple of steps back from him.

"Whoa! Watch out!"

Arthur felt the strong arm catch him as he fell forwards. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears over the horrible buzzing that had swept over him. He was uncomfortably hot, but could tell that he was still shivering.

"Looks like his fever hasn't gone down after all…" Matthew sighed, darting out of the room into the kitchen. "You couldn't give me a hand, could you Kiku?"

The other boy discarded his game controller without a word, following the taller blonde out of the room as Alfred guided Arthur over to the sofa.

He was light. Too light almost. His creamy skin looked as if it had sunken in just the last few seconds as his knees had given way. The clothes Alfred had given him clung loosely to him, making him look even smaller than he already was.

Arthur's brilliantly green eyes still stood out greatly, almost making up for the massive bags that had appeared under them, but they were dull and far away, as if he wasn't really conscious of the few steps he was taking between the door of the room and the sofa in the centre.

Alfred faltered, hesitating before finally steering the other blonde into lying on the small couch. It was too small for him to stretch out on, and his legs were bent uncomfortably so that he could fit across the two cushions, but it was better than nothing.

Gilbert appeared at his side, handing over one of the throws that had been positioned over one of the room's armchairs, and helped Alfred to tuck it over the smaller teen so that he was completely covered, save his head.

It was some time before Matt came back into the room with Kiku, one of which mopped Arthur's head with a wet towel to rid him of any sweat that had risen there, and the other started spooning out a large bowl of hot soup for him, making sure that he ate it.

"He's been like that for ages." Gilbert leant against the wall in the hallway, letting out a long sigh. "Who is that guy anyway?"

"We're still not sure." Matt shuffled his feet, allowing his hair to fall in front of his face.

Gilbert wrapped his arm around the blonde, pulling him closer so that Matt's head was resting on his shoulder.

"I looked him up everywhere I could think of and no one knows an Arthur Kirkland anywhere. It's so weird."

"Unless he's making it all up." Gilbert added, glancing towards the open door again, where they could clearly see Alfred still tending to Arthur. "Al's taken to him, though, ain't he?"

The younger twin huffed lightly, frowning slightly against the other teen's shoulder. "I should be mad. He said he'd look for work. But I dunno. I guess it's good that they get along so well, even if he's completely insane. I just hope the fever goes down soon."

* * *

Alfred watched his chest rise and fall as he slept.

Arthur's breathing had only just calmed down after he had collapsed earlier, leaving them able to carry him back up the stairs to Alfred's bedroom.

He still looked incredibly pale, his eyebrows creased down slightly in his sleep even if his breaths were coming in a more regular pattern now.

Alfred wiped the sweat off the smaller man's brow again, stopping to check his temperature for a moment before leaning back on his hand.

They were along in the house now, Kiku having left fairly soon after Arthur had passed out, and Matthew had decided to walk Gilbert home, though it had been some time since then, but there were more important things for Alfred to worry about than some German idiot molesting his younger brother.

A small whimper came from next to him, bringing his attention back to the man on the bed. Arthur's eyes were screwed shut, a pained expression crossing his features before his eyes opened blearily.

"Arthur? Hey, you okay? How're you feeling?" Alfred rushed out, quickly grabbing the glass of water Matt had left on the bedside table and helping the other blonde take a couple of sips of the liquid.

Arthur looked gormless, his head swaying to the side so that he was looking at Alfred but his eyes had no life in them.

He opened his mouth, shaping out words with no sound before falling back against the pillows, exhaustion taking hold once more as he mouthed the words once more before closing his eyes, not knowing whether Alfred had understood.

But the bespectacled blonde had been able to read his lips, making out the silent words:

"_There none left. I can't get back…_"

* * *

Arthur woke up to find himself tucked under the bedcovers. His head wasn't throbbing like it had been before, but it still ached. He couldn't remember getting back upstairs, it was a complete blur. All he could recall was Alfred catching him when his legs had given out.

Something hummed from next to him and he nearly catapulted himself from the bed when he saw Alfred's face next to him, still perfectly asleep.

The motion, however, seemed to wake the teen, who had proceeded to yawn massively.

"Hm?" Alfred opened one eye, flinching slightly at the uncomfortable position of his glasses pressed up against his nose. "You're awake? That's good."

Arthur nodded, though he regretted the motion almost immediately as his head panged again and he had to force himself not to let his hand fly to his forehead.

"You feel like eating?"

He scrambled around him, positive that he'd left the notebook by the bed, before finding it. "_Not right now._"

"Okay." Alfred stretched, rolling his shoulders back. "Anything that you do want, let me know."

It was only then that a thought struck Arthur. His magic had run out, that much was painfully obvious now. Back home his power had always been fuelled by the forest that had surrounded them, it was so green and natural, the complete opposite of what he had seen of the outside in this world. But he needed magic to heal otherwise he was only going to cause more of a problem for the twins.

He lifted the notepad again, scribbling down in his ever-neat handwriting. "_Can I go outside? Is there somewhere green I can go?_"

"You wanna go outside?"

He nodded.

"You sure you're feeling up to it?"

Another nod. "_Somewhere green._"

"You mean like the back yard?"

Arthur tilted his head.

"Well mom plants flowers and stuff out there. She doesn't usually let me out there too much in case I mess it up or something."

"_I won't touch anything! I would just like to sit out there for a while._"

"Well if you're sure…" Alfred stood up, stretching again, before holding a hand out to Arthur. "C'mon then."

He hesitated slightly, tucking the notebook and pen into the back pocket of his borrowed jeans before taking the other's larger hand.

What he didn't expect, however, was for Alfred to then pull him forwards so that he was supported over his shoulder, his legs dangling down in front of the teen.

Alfred laughed, sensing Arthur's surprise. "There's no way I'm letting you walk after what happened yesterday!" He was thumped on the back. "I won't listen to any complaints!"

Arthur flailed a little helplessly, inwardly cursing Alfred's almost inhuman strength before leaning as awkwardly as possible on the boy's shoulders, hoping that this displayed his annoyance well enough and allowed himself to be carried out of the room and down that stairs. _Bloody idiot…_

"What're you doing?" Matt skirted to one side as his brother came bounding past.

"He wanted to go and sit outside." Alfred replied only too cheerfully.

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Aww, come on! It's not as if it's raining this time!" Alfred's all too fake pout quickly turned into a grin as he darted around his twin and into the kitchen, still supporting a heavily disgruntled looking Arthur.

"You're gonna make him feel worse like that!"

Alfred raised a hand in a mock wave, swinging the back door open as he went, speeding into the yard.

He set Arthur down on the small bench his father had bought a couple of years back, but very rarely used thanks to his mother's tendency to shoo the three male members of the family away from her garden.

The smaller blonde's eyes went wide. Yes, the space in the garden wasn't as huge as the forest's expanse, but it was beautiful all the same. Alfred's mother must have tended to it dearly. The late summer flowers were still blooming despite how terrible the weather had been and there were a few small trees lining the fence at the back of the house next to the small strip of grass.

"It's nothing much." Alfred flopped down next to him, puffing his hair out of his eyes. "But it's good enough, ain't it?"

"_It's lovely._" Arthur scribbled down, barely taking his eyes away from the scene in front of him. "_Absolutely fantastic!_"

* * *

**[A/N:** Hey guys!

So here's my new series. I must say, I found this chapter a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. I guess it's because I'm just getting this started.

I'm also not used to writing so much for an opening chapter (heh), but this fic is going to be quite a bit shorter than _What's in a Name _was, so the chapters are going to end up being longer.

Enjoy! Next chapter will be up soon hopefully! I've also got a plan for a darker USUK fic which I'll start writing soon as well :)


	2. The Magic in the Garden

**What Your Eyes Can't See**

_Chapter 2_

_

* * *

_

Alfred had already lost count of the number of times he had now spotted the sandy blonde mop of hair sprawled in the middle of the grass in the back yard. Arthur really did seem to truly love the little green space they had. He spent more time out there than he did inside, and he seemed to be getting better for it.

There were a few times when the taller teen had found Arthur asleep out there and had (heroically) carried him back inside the house, but this was an occurrence that was happening less and less as the colour started returning to his milky skin.

Arthur had felt it too. He was getting stronger again, feeling more like his normal self as the days passed. It was almost as if he could feel his magic passing through his fingertips again.

But there was one thing that hadn't changed despite all this.

His voice still hadn't returned.

And he hated the fact that this stopped him from being able to have any decent conversations. Alfred tended to blabber on for ages on end, leaving Arthur to try to hurry and scribble down his responses before the other boy got bored, which, unfortunately, he often did.

It wasn't that he was uncaring. He just had an unbelievably short attention span. It was something that Arthur had discovered even before he had started recovering. But that didn't stop him from enjoying Alfred's company.

Matthew did drop by from time to time when he was bedridden, but he just didn't seem to have the same spark as his twin. He was also exceedingly hard to read compared to Alfred. He closed himself away from Arthur, only too suspicious of the stranger in their house. The only time he let his guard down was when Gilbert was with him.

He sighed, lying down in front of one particular flowerbed where the bloom had since finished for that year. It was a shame, the flowers had been beautiful, varying in shades and colours before they eventually had withered and dried up.

He picked one of the decaying steams, twiddling it between his fingers before rolling onto his back and holding it up in front of him.

Closing his eyes, Arthur let out a long breath, concentrating on what were once the flower's colourful petals. And he felt it. That small spark that meant everything to him and then the flow of his power running down his fingers and into the flower.

He opened his eyes again, just in time to watch the flower unfurl itself, its steam straightening out once more and changing back to a brilliant green while its petals filled with colour, practically radiating its warm yellow hue.

The teen smiled, letting out a soft laugh as he breathed in the bloom's scent.

Yes, his strength truly had returned.

"What the hell was that?"

Arthur started, clutching the newly living flower to his chest and sitting up so that his eyes rested on the source of the voice.

Alfred was standing at the door into the house, his eyes fixated on the teen half-lying on the grass in front of him. They kept darting between Arthur's face and the flower in his hand, not sure of where they should land.

Arthur opened and closed his mouth, hating that he couldn't form the words to explain himself. _Fucking, unreliable magic!_

"Tsk." Alfred rolled his eyes, crossing the small expanse of grass and pulling the smaller blonde to his feet. "C'mon."

He allowed himself to be practically frog-marched back into the house behind Alfred, though he never raised his eyes from the ground.

Why had he been so _stupid_? Of course magic didn't exist in this world. Why had he thought any different? If it had existed then they would've known how to heal him straight away. He just _had_ to let his guard slip for a second. After all this time he should have known to be more _careful_!

Alfred pushed him down onto the sofa, grateful for once that Matt was out with Gilbert at that moment in time. Arthur was still pointedly holding onto the flower that he had unwittingly seen being revived in front of his very eyes.

He pulled out the notebook, which he _had_ been bringing down to the other boy after finding it abandoned in the bedroom ("_And they say _my_ head's in the clouds…_").

"How did you do that?" He pointed at the plant as Arthur took the book and pen from him, his brows furrowing uncertainly.

"_Sorry._"

"What aren't you telling us?" He had to keep a calm head, but knew that this, being him, would be practically impossible.

"_I'm sorry. I just-_"

"Don't avoid the question!" _Stay calm… Stay calm…_

"_I'm not from around here._"

"You've said that before. Arthur, come _on_! I'm not stupid!" Alfred huffed, trying his very hardest not to start shouting at the mute boy. But it was just so _exasperating_! "That flower was dead! I _saw_ it!"

"_I don't know how to explain it._" Arthur frowned down at the page, willing for the words to come to life and produce the exact explanation Alfred needed. _Why_ did magic have to be so bloody complicated? "_It's always been something normal for me._"

"What has?"

"_Magic._"

Alfred gaped at him. He had _not_ just written that. _That_! What did he take him for?

But then, was their really any other explanation for a frikken flower to come _back to life_ in front of his eyes.

_Argh_! This was making his head hurt.

"Don't be stupid." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Magic doesn't exist. It's all fairy stories."

"_Maybe it is here, but not in my homeland._" Arthur scowled. God this kid was dense.

"And where _is_ your homeland?" Alfred quirked an eyebrow, knowing only too well how much the subject of where Arthur was from had been avoided over the last few days.

"_You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. Besides, I hardly think it is any of your business._"

"None of my business?" Now he really was glad that Matt wasn't in. "You've been freeloading here for the last, what? Week? And you still think it's none of my business who you actually are? Newsflash man! You're fucking crazy! You don't think I'll believe you? Well fucking try me!"

Arthur could only stare at him. He hadn't expected Alfred to react like that. The teen was usually so laid back, now here he was fuming his head off. And knowing how stubborn he was, it would be impossible to try and escape from the mess he had gotten himself into.

"Come on then!"

He sighed. _No getting out of this now…_

"_It's hard to explain._"

"Well you can try, can't you?"

Holding it off was only going to make Alfred worse, that much was obvious, but that didn't stop Arthur from being apprehensive.

How on earth did one just announce that they were from an entirely different world? It wasn't a simple case of coming out with, _"yeah, I'm from a different dimension where mystical beings and sorcery actually exist, hope that's okay."_ No, this was going to be _much_ more complicated. The fact that it was hard to get anything through to Alfred made things ten times harder as well.

"_When I say that I am not from around here, I may have been understating things._" He settled on.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alfred was still looking irritated, getting bored of the other's poor attempts of an explanation.

"_It's not so much that I'm not from around here, more that I'm from a different place entirely._"

He huffed. "Still not making any sense."

"_For goodness sake! Get the bloody message!_" Oh brilliant, now he was losing his temper as well.

"What message? You're not telling me anything!"

"_I'm not from this fucking world, you dolt!_"

There. He'd said it. Admittedly this hadn't been how he'd wanted to tell Alfred, but he was just so _infuriating_ at times. It was practically impossible for him _not_ to lose his temper. Whatever the case, his little outburst had seemed to silence the other teen... for a few seconds at least.

Alfred let out a harsh laugh, almost like a bark. He looked away from Arthur, too dumbfounded to grace the other man with more of a reply after seeing _that_ written on the page.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." He finally decided on. "That's the best you could come up with?" He laughed again, this time turning to face the smaller teen. "You must really think I'm an idiot. So what? You're an alien, or something? Great. So, what shit do you want me to swallow next?"

Arthur glared at him. Not the usual, exasperated frown that he gave when he was fed up with the other's poor attempts of making jokes. No, this look was so much darker than that. His hand moved quickly across the page before he stood up abruptly, hurling the small book at Alfred before running from the room.

He watched the smaller man hurtle out of the room before he looked at what was written on the page in front of him, slightly surprised by the scruffy lettering that had replaced the usual italic scrawl that Arthur wrote with. The words "_Fuck you._" written plainly on one line in the centre of the page.

Alfred pushed himself up, not really thinking about what he was doing as he followed after Arthur, only quickly glimpsing the sun coloured petals fall to the ground as the revived flower wilted and died once more.

* * *

Matthew walked through the front door only to be nearly barrelled over as the blur of a blonde head slammed past him and up the stairs, turning briefly to see what he had bumped into before continuing. "Wha-?" Was all he could manage to get out before yet another blonde figure skidded into him, this one much resembling his twin brother. "Al?" He groaned as a hand caught him from behind as Gilbert pushed him back up. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later!" Alfred called over his shoulder as he bounded up the stairs after Arthur, determined to catch him before he managed to barricade himself inside the bedroom.

He just managed to glimpse an arm disappear through the doorway as he rounded the top of the staircase, sprinting the last few paces to his bedroom door.

There was a noticeable thump as the door was attempted to be slammed shut, followed by Alfred's shout of alarm as he pushed his way into the room after Arthur, trying to resist the urge to hop on his uninjured foot so he could nurse the other which was now throbbing with pain.

Arthur quickly jerked away from the taller teen, partly because he was afraid of being knocked over as Alfred stumbled towards the bed, but mostly because he really did not want to see him at that moment. Heck! He'd be happy right then if he never had to see Alfred again after how he had just treated him!

It was at that moment that something hit the side of his head, bringing his attention back to the person who had now managed to collapse down onto the bed.

Alfred had thrown the notebook back at him, opening up their method of communication again, even though he knew only too well that Arthur was likely to refuse to write any kind of response to him.

"Prove it."

It could almost have been considered an order if Arthur hadn't gotten to know Alfred better by that point. The boy never ordered anyone to do anything. Yes, he made his demands, but they were usually childish and never taken seriously. This time though, Alfred's expression was very much straight, his brows furrowing slightly with his own concentration. It was surprising how mature he looked when he wasn't goofing off and trying to annoying anyone and everyone.

"Go on then! I know you're not the type to go around making stuff up, but there's no way I'm believing in _actual_ magic unless you can prove it."

Arthur hesitated, glancing between Alfred and the door, knowing only too well that if he tried to make another break for it the other would catch him again within a matter of seconds. It wasn't like running away from his minders, after all.

He took a couple of steps closer to the teen sitting on the edge of the bed, causing him to shuffle back slightly away before Arthur could hold his hands up in his own defence and perched next to the Alfred.

"Wha- What're you gonna do?" Alfred surprised himself when he stammered slightly, not meeting Arthur's deep emerald gaze. He hadn't expected Arthur to relent so easily.

He was met with yet another scowl as the smaller man swatted his hand away from the foot he was still nursing before yanking away his shoe and sock to revel a slightly bruised looking bare foot.

"H-hey! Don't touch! It hurts!"

His complaints were lost as Arthur gave him one last frown before closing his eyes and letting his hand hover over the injured limb.

Any words that he would have said died on Alfred's lips as he watched Arthur. His concentration was incredible, that had to be said, even if he wasn't expecting anything to happen from it.

But then he saw it. That faint green glow that he swore he had seen when the flower had been revived. It encased Arthur's hand, clouding it over and swirling around it, glowing brighter as the time passed until Alfred could no longer look at it without squinting slightly.

His foot twitched as a sudden jolt passed through it, a small bolt of emerald passing from Arthur's hand to his foot until it felt like it was tingling all over, numbing it from the previous pain of having it shut in the door.

And then it was over just as quickly as it had started.

Arthur opened his eyes and the glow faded and with it, the pain in Alfred's foot.

"You-"

Arthur held up the notebook, cutting him off, but not meeting his gaze in the slightest.

"_I healed it. Do you need any other proof?_"

Indeed, the bruising had completely disappeared when the tingling had stopped. It was hard to argue against it. And it would've been impossible for Arthur to set up any cheap tricks like that with the little know-how he had with the technology Alfred had in his bedroom. Besides, he didn't own any light projecting equipment. He always borrowed it from one of Kiku's cousins if he needed it (because they were almost as cool as he was).

A soft thump brought his attention back to the blonde sitting next to him.

Arthur's eyes had drooped before he fell back, laying in a heap on the bed, his breaths coming out in short rasps.

"Arthur? Hey! What's wrong?" Alfred leant over him, the anger from earlier completely disappearing from his features.

He lazily grasped the pen, drawling onto the page of the notebook and smiling slightly at the face the other teen was pulling.

"_Used up too much energy. Just need to rest a bit. I'll be fine._"

Alfred let out a short laugh as Arthur's breathing turned into light snores, his brows naturally furrowing slightly in his sleep.

Yeah, that was all the proof he needed.

* * *

"_No, idiot! It's like this!_"

Arthur drew the circle in the earth again, the little intricate pattern in the centre glowing as he held his hand over it before a small green shoot emerged from the ground.

"I can't do it, Artie!" Alfred whined, pouting at the frown the other was giving him.

"_You just don't pay attention to the finer detail of it._" He huffed as he put the pen down, reclining back on the grass behind him.

He couldn't help but let out a small puff of laughter at the look of concentration on Alfred's face as he started copying the symbol again, his tongue poking slightly out of his pursed lips.

"Like this?" He questioned as Arthur sat up again to inspect his work.

"_Looks better._" The smaller blonde praised with a small smile to the other. "_Let's see._"

He held his palm over it, letting the energy flow down his arm and into the symbol. It fizzled into life, the light given to it flickering dimly before something green popped out of the ground, and promptly caught on fire before Arthur hurried to undo the magic.

"_Nearly there._" His expression was amused and Alfred guessed that if he could, Arthur would've been chuckling at him. "_But not quite. I guess magic methods really are impossible for you._"

"Hey!" He found himself pouting again (he needed to break that habit…). "I really tried to get it right!"

"_I know._" Arthur scribbled down. "_And you were close. But magic isn't supposed to exist in this world, and my energy knows that. It's probably why it won't work properly when you're the one who draws the circle._"

"It's got something against me."

Another mimed laugh. "_Don't take it too personally._"

"Right! I'm trying again!" Alfred pumped a fist into the air as he started to doodle again, making sure that every last detail was the exact match of Arthur's circle beside it.

Arthur's hand stretched over it again, watching the shape as it began to glow more steadily this time, and more brightly like his own. The shoot grew once more, poking out further from the soil, only this time it was only a few seconds before they were leaping backwards away from it as it groaned and exploded in their faces.

"_Honestly, Alfred, I think that you should give up._"

"Aww!" Alfred looked much like a child when he bashed his hands into the grass around him. "I thought I'd gotten it right that time!"

"_So did I. Until it exploded._" He rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. "_What is it with you and loud noises?_"

"I dunno." He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly at the other man. "They just seem to happen around me."

"_Or you're the one making them. Those games you play are horrendous!_"

"They're awesome!" Alfred argued, "Just because you're all stuffy doesn't mean I have to be."

"_I am _not_ stuffy!_" Arthur scowled, his brows almost looking as if they were going to knit themselves together.

"You are!" Alfred laughed, poking the space between the other's eyes, pushing his brows back up. "Come on! You're frowning even now!"

"_Because a certain someone is being impossible._" He crossed his arms, trying to hide the small smile that had formed on his lips.

"Man, loosen up!" The taller teen shoved the smaller a little too hard, sending him sprawling on the grass. "Oops… Sorry, Artie."

The next thing he knew he was being flung backwards by a blonde streak, which he effortlessly tossed to one side before the two of them were rolling around on the grass like a couple of children.

"What on _earth_ are you two doing?" Matthew's voice called over from the door, catching both of them off guard.

"Oh!" Alfred laughed awkwardly at his twin, brushing some of the loose grass ends out of his hair. "Erm, nothing?"

"You're filthy, Al." His brother was not impressed, that much was obvious. "And so are you, Arthur."

The older teen pursed his lips, embarrassed that he had been caught acting in such a manner.

"Anyway," Matt sighed, deciding to overlook their childishness, "I'm just serving up dinner if you wanna eat."

"Great!" Alfred jumped up, batting the dirt off his clothes. "I'm starving!"

"Good." Matt smiled, turning back inside. "Oh, and Gilbert's here too."

"What? Wait, Matt!" He was ignored as the door shut behind the younger twin, who he knew only too well would be looking increasingly pleased with himself. "Jeez! That guy's had a bad impression on him." Alfred groaned, mentally preparing himself for the onslaught of the older albino.

* * *

"Aah! That was exhausting!" Alfred slumped back on the bed next to where Arthur was sitting, quietly reading one of the books Matthew had lent him. "I can't believe how big-headed that guy is! '_The food is almost as awesome as I am_.' What does Mattie see in him?"

"_You're one to talk._" Arthur didn't turn his head while he wrote, his concentration remaining on the page in front of him. "_Although, I do see your point. He can be quite infuriating._"

"You're not tired?" Alfred changed the subject, not wanting to carrying on talking about his brother's '_supremely awesome_' friend.

"_I'm fine_." The sandy blonde finally turned to him, smiling slightly, his face glowing in the evening sunlight that was flooding through the window. He closed the book, placing it down next to him. "_I should be able to go home soon if I can keep this up._"

"Go home?" Alfred sat up abruptly, nearly sending Arthur toppling to the floor.

"_Well, yes._" Arthur wrote down, "_My staying here for so long was not in my original plan. I believe that I have been imposing on you and your brother for long enough. Don't you think so?_"

"You haven't been imposing!" Alfred shouted, surprising himself more than anything. "I mean…"

What did he mean?

Yeah, it was great having Arthur around. He was someone to talk to who wasn't his brother or Kiku. And he was completely different from anyone he had met before. Heck! The guy could use magic for pity's sake! He was from another world! That had to count for something.

It was also those little looks he gave him. The little quizzical smiles that he occasionally shot when he was interested in something or when he was outside. Those smiles were simply… well, they were amazing. They had sent shivers down Alfred's spine right from when Arthur had first shown him his magic. Even thinking about them was enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Maybe it was the magic playing its part, but it was those parts of Arthur that Alfred didn't want to lose quite so soon.

Something nudged him hard in the side, bringing his attention back to the subject of his thoughts.

"_Pay attention, git._"

"Ah, sorry." Alfred smiled, adjusting his glasses as he looked down to read what Arthur had scrawled onto the page while he had been spacing out.

"_I can't stay here forever, Al. I've got a home of my own and there're probably people wondering what on earth has happened to me. They weren't exactly pleased with my disappearance as it is._

_I would like to stay for longer, lord knows that. Not for you or anything, I'll have you know, but just because, well, I don't know. It's so different here. Everything is just so new to me and I want to know more about this world and you and everything. Just everything!_

_But I can't and I know that, and you know that. So there's no point in getting all upset over something that we can't change._

_I can't carry on living here, Al. It's hard enough for me to talk to you like this. I'm still not used to it even though it's been weeks._

_And I miss the forest back home and…_"

It had left off there, leaving the sentence unfinished when Arthur had apparently realised that Alfred was in no way paying him any attention.

"You were ranting." Alfred smiling, pointing at the small writing.

"_I was not. I was giving you perfectly valid reasons why I must leave._"

"Looks to me like you were giving reasons why you should stay as well."

"_Don't make this any more difficult, moron._"

"Sorry." Alfred sighed, leaning back on his hands. "It's just gonna be weird without you here now."

Arthur tapped the paper with his pen, getting Alfred's attention again. "_I'd stay if I could, you know._"

He didn't remember doing it. All Alfred knew was that he had suddenly yanked Arthur backwards and pulled him into his arms, holding him as tight as he could.

He was warm, his smaller body fitting perfectly in his more tanned arms.

Alfred could see Arthur's expression, totally surprised, his eyes wide and his mouth open slightly. He couldn't complain out loud, which he guessed was a plus. But then, Arthur was showing no sign of any complaints. He was just totally still in his arms, not moving from the little cocoon they had become encased in.

It was several minutes before Arthur finally pushed away from him, his face completely flushed scarlet from ear-to-ear. Alfred knew he couldn't have looked much better, but kept a straight face as the two of them sat up, Arthur reaching back for the notebook.

"_Actually,_" His writing was shaking with his hand, making his usually perfectly neat hand appear unnaturally messy. "_I am feeling a little tired. I think some sleep would do me good._"

"Ah." Alfred nodded, smiling uneasily. "Oh, okay. I'll let you get some rest then."

He stood, taking a step towards the door before something caught hold of his wrist, pulling him back a fraction.

Turning back around, Arthur was still holding tightly to his arm, his face looking almost desperate.

He held up the book, showing one word, still written messily, but more certain than his previous statement.

"_Stay._"

"Are- Are you sure?" Alfred tripped over his words, feeling his face heating back up again to match Arthur's, which was nodding at him slowly.

He took the step back to the bed, pulling Arthur into his arms once more as they lay there.

* * *

Alfred woke up the next morning, unused to the feel of his own bed after having slept on the sofa for the last few days.

There was, however, something very wrong with the situation he had woken to.

The bed was empty.

Arthur was gone. His shape was still left in the covers where they had slept next to each other, it was warm even. But he most definitely was not there.

It took a while for it to sink in before Alfred finally realised what had happened. What Arthur had said the previous night. Everything.

He threw back the covers, pulling his jeans on over his boxers and grabbing his shirt and glasses as he bounded down the stairs and past a bewildered looking Matthew, still dressed in his pyjamas and holding a mug of coffee.

"Al! Look out!" He clutched at the cup, but still slopping some of the hot contents over his hands.

"Sorry Mattie! In a hurry! Have you seen Arthur?" Alfred skidded to a halt at the corner to the living room, shoving his glasses up his nose.

"Why would I have seen him? He's staying in _your_ room." The younger twin sighed, moving past his boisterous brother.

"Yeah, but he wasn't there when I woke up!"

"What?"

"He wasn't there when I-" He started repeating only to be cut off by Matt.

"Yes, I heard you. But what do you mean 'when you woke up'?"

"He wasn't in the bed!"

"And why were _you_ in the bed?"

"Matt, I don't have time for this!"

"He's still practically a stranger, Al! What the hell are you doing?" His brother had gone mad, that had to be the only explanation. Why couldn't he fall for people he was introduced to by _friends_ like normal people?

"It's my choice! He's different from everyone else!" Alfred glared at Matthew, feeling slightly like he was looking in the mirror.

"But we don't know anything about him!"

"Just because you don't doesn't mean it's the same for me." He was wasting time with this when he could've been looking for Arthur. What was _wrong_ with Matt?

"Do you love him?"

The question came out of the blue, catching him completely off guard.

_Did_ he love Arthur?

Was that why he was so desperate to find him?

It made no sense. Why did he want this freeloader to stay so badly? He'd never felt like this towards anyone before. It wasn't in his nature to get so attached to someone like this. He'd always hung around with a large group of the guys at school, and now here he was clinging to this one _complete stranger_ with all he had.

"I don't know." Was all he could answer. "But I've got to find him."

He left Matthew standing there by himself in the hallway, still holding the dripping mug, looking utterly baffled at his older twin. "You're an idiot, Al."

Alfred was literally crashing through the house, taking no notice of the objects that went tumbling to the floor behind him. Well, if Matt wasn't going to help then he could go stuff himself.

Why did Arthur have to go and disappear anyway?

_Bastard…_

It was only when he tripped through the doorway into the kitchen that he realised his mistake.

_So _that_ was where he'd been all this time…_

_

* * *

_

Arthur found himself standing out in the early morning light, his old cloak wrapped around his shoulders, stumped for what to do. He'd planned this out so many times in his head, but when it actually came to it, leaving was much harder than he had originally anticipated.

Everything was ready, right down to the circle he had formed in the grass in front of him. It was purely a matter of stepping into it and focusing his energy and then he'd be back in his own world just like that. His magic would be back at full power, he'd be able to speak again and everything would be back to normal.

But there would be a hole. A massive gaping hole that could only be filled by one person. And that person would be on the other side of the void, cut off from him for who knows how long. Fate was truly a cruel mistress.

_I don't belong here…_

The thought had run through his head too many times to count, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he would be leaving behind something far too important for him to lose. He would be leaving _him_ behind.

It was buzzing around in his head. The image of Alfred sleeping next to him. The teen really was just like a child, sleeping so soundly like that. He was almost cute. Except it was Alfred, and he was too boisterous and annoying. But that didn't mean that the extra warmth of the body next to him as he had lain in bed awake had not been somewhat comforting, even if it made the thought of leaving it behind so much worse.

It was just so goddamn _hard!_

"You look upset."

He started at the voice, jerking around to face the source only to see the very root of his problems.

Alfred was standing at the edge of the patio, leaning over onto his knees to catch his breath back. There was something strange about him.

It had been a few days since he had seen it, that look on Alfred's face. The look of his brows pulled down into a frown like that. It didn't suit him, but somehow it fit the situation a little _too_ well.

And he couldn't answer him.

"You thought you could just up and leave like that?" Alfred growled in a voice that didn't sound anything like his usual chirpy self. "I knew you were uptight Artie, but I didn't think you were heartless."

It felt like he had been slapped. Being accused so bluntly by him.

Alfred moved closer, not taking his eyes off of Arthur's form as he wrapped his arms around himself. "What were you thinking?" He tried to soften his voice a bit. He didn't want Arthur to run off again, not when he'd finally worked out where he had gone. And if he ran away, he would probably get lost, and things would just get even harder to solve. "I know you can't answer. But I just wanna understand what's going on in your head a bit. You never let me in so how can I understand?"

Arthur shook his head, his eyes wide as Alfred spoke.

He didn't want to hear it. It would just make things even more difficult for him. Why did he have to find him so quickly?

He looked up only to find Alfred even closer, his face barely a foot in front of his own.

"Why do you need to shut yourself away so much?"

Arthur leant away, terrified of him getting any closer.

He unconsciously took a step backwards away from the taller blonde, slipping on the damp grass so that he fell into the circle, his hand falling in its centre just as Alfred reached out to grab him.

_Shit!_

He felt the energy rush down his arm and into the ground as the first ray of sunlight hit the shape, his power flowing into it and lighting it like a beacon. It had worked, just as he thought it would and he could feel himself start to dematerialise from the world in front of his eyes.

There was one problem though.

The weight that was glued around his wrist that was most definitely _not_ supposed to be there.

But it was too late, and the garden vanished from in front of his eyes.

* * *

**[a/n: Hi everyone! Long time no update!**

**Still, I'm back with chapter 2 and I'm already writing chapter 3 (because I don't wanna get lost in the fray again lol).**

**If you're wondering why I disappeared for so long, it was because I've been busy settling in at University. For those of you who don't know, I'm an art student, and that most certainly does _not_ mean that I just go out and get drunk every weekend lol.**

**The workload's a lot bigger than what I'm used to, so I've been concentrating on that and some of my other projects more than I have been here.**

**I'm sorry! Fate's so cruel to me! 0**

**Anyway, hopefully I'll be back with another update soon!**

**I'm also about to start another short chapterfic which is going to be decidedly darker than this one, so look out for that too! =D]  
**


	3. The Wisps in the Water

**What Your Eyes Can't See**

_Chapter 3_

_

* * *

_

It was dark. All around him, there was the eerie blackness that Alfred could only relate to those horror movies that he was most definitely _not_ afraid of.

He had grabbed hold of Arthur without thinking and then the next thing he knew there was a massive rushing sensation and all he could hear was the worst ringing in his ears that he had ever experienced, and then nothing. Pitch black all around him like the sun had just been turned out.

"Arthur?" He called out into the empty space, groping around in front of him to try and find the figure that had disappeared from his grip.

He could hear the wind flying past something close by, the movement of unseen trees almost echoing around him as he stumbled sideways over something sharp.

A sudden rustle took him by surprise as something grabbed hold of his arm. "What the-?"

"Shh." He was hushed, a finger being pressed to his lips. "Close your eyes."

The voice was low and soothing, spoken with the hint of an accent as a hand was placed over Alfred's eyes, forcing them shut under its touch as his glasses were pushed up his forehead.

"You can't see? I thought as much." It spoke quickly, barely giving Alfred enough time to keep up with what they were saying. "Hang on a moment."

There was a rush of energy suddenly passing through the hand, making it feel like his head was buzzing, and causing his eyes to prickle under the pressure that it was pushing on his face. A green flash appeared in front of his vision for less than a moment and then it was gone.

The hand was retracted, leaving Alfred standing in his own fogginess as he let his mind readjust.

"Feeling better?" The voice spoke out again as he opened his eyes and light flooded into them.

He squinted out, pushing his glasses back down where the hand had dislodged them, only to revel in where he found himself.

There were more trees than he'd ever seen before, completely surrounding him in as many different shades of green as he could imagine. It was incredible! Some had flowers, some didn't, some even bore fruit.

He was standing on a circle of neatly trimmed grass in the middle of a ring of stones that formed the same shape that had been made on his own lawn back home before he had been pulled through.

"I take it that that's a yes."

He swivelled around to the source of the voice to be met by an unusually smug smile on the face of a very familiar looking blonde.

"Arthur?" He couldn't help but question him.

"You don't have to look so surprised." Arthur folded his arms, his eyebrows descending into their almost permanent fixture.

"You can talk."

"And now stating the obvious?" The smaller teen huffed. "Of course I can talk, git. The only reason I couldn't before was because my magic hadn't fully restored itself." Ah. There was the Arthur he knew. The one who would frown and complain at the smallest of comments. "That being said." He continued, ignoring the relieved look on the younger's face. "It feels fairly odd to be speaking again after all this time of being mute. I must say that it's going to take some getting used to again- what're you smiling about? Honestly, you never pay attention."

"Hm?" Alfred became aware of the goofy grin he had been supporting for the entirety of Arthur's little speech, only now softening it now that it had been pointed out to him. "I was just thinking that you sound exactly how I imagined you would. You know, with the accent and all."

"A-accent?" Arthur scoffed. "Well, if I'd known you were going to mock me I would've left you blind. I'll have you know that this was entirely you own fault, seeing as you decided to grab hold of me as the magic took effect."

"I- I didn't grab hold of you!" Alfred started, the realisation of what he had done hitting him now that Arthur was throwing it in his face.

"Then how do explain the fact that you're in _my_ world now."

"I just-! It was an accident, okay?" He blushed, looking down at the grass at his feet rather than at the smaller blonde.

The slightly triumphant look on Arthur's face was annoyingly smug again, leaving Alfred feeling even more stupid than he had done in the first place for catching hold of the other's much thinner wrist. It had been pure adrenaline and a spur of the moment impulse that had made him reach out for him. The thought of Arthur leaving, well, it had been much too sudden.

A sigh once again grabbed his attention, looking back up to meet Arthur's gaze. "Very well." He had shifted his posture, standing up straighter and speaking in a much more formal manner. "Seeing as you're already here, it would be rude and un-gentlemanly to simply abandon you. I _suppose_," he smirked, "you'll just have to come along with me."

"Come with-? Where?" Alfred gaped for a moment, not quite taking in what Arthur had said until he found himself being dragged towards the trees by the shorter teen.

"My home." Arthur called over his shoulder, "Where do you think?" He blinked as they moved into the dark green light of the shade under the trees, letting his eyes adjust to the absence of sunlight.

They continued walking, Arthur finally letting go of Alfred's wrist so he could follow him of his own accord.

It really was amazing. Alfred had always lived in the city suburbs before and had never seen so much wildlife before. The closest he had ever gotten was that one trip to the zoo that hadn't ended too well after he had tried to feed the gorillas and Matt nearly had his arm ripped off as a result. Not a good day.

"Omph!" He was brought to an abrupt halt as he walked into Arthur, who had suddenly stopped in front of him. "What're you-"

"Shh." Arthur raised a hand, making sure that Alfred didn't move, and glared around the area. "Someone's coming." He dropped his voice, listening for the approaching footsteps. He could feel them coming, their magic was evident in the air, not hidden in the slightest, but he just couldn't _see_ them.

And then he heard it. The faint trample through the fallen leaves and the distinct sound of a twig snapping.

Seeing Arthur stiffen, Alfred was pretty glad he had ducked just in time for the older blonde to whip around and shoot some kind of magic right where he had been standing. Not that that mattered to Arthur of course, seeing as he was still standing to attention, looking at the gap in the trees where they had been walking.

"Show yourself." Arthur ordered, his voice clear and crisp, very much how Alfred had imagined it to be before he had heard it.

There was movement before a figure emerged from behind one of the trees, looking very much shaken with his usually very neatly styled blonde hair looking oddly dishevelled.

"Bloody _hell_, Francis!" Arthur slapped a hand to his forehead, rolling his eyes at his friend. "You could've said it was you!"

"And you, Arthur," his voice sounded more accented than ever, "do you usually send _attacks_ at one of your closest friends? I mean seriously, I could've _died_!"

"Don't exaggerate, frog. I couldn't have killed a pixie with that, let alone someone as stubborn as you." Green eyes rolled once more at Francis's antics. "What're you doing all the way out here anyway?"

"Ah, yes." Francis smiled weakly, smoothing his hair back down so it rested perfectly on his shoulders. "Well, it was my punishment, so to say." He sighed, "I thought you said it was only going to be a quick trip. That you were only going to _observe_ the other world. You were gone for _weeks!_"

"Yes, well, there were complications." he jerked his head towards Alfred, who was only now standing up again, "Including this oaf."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Alfred protested, "Who was the one who let you stay in their house until you got better? And anyway, who's this guy?"

"I could ask the same of you, _mon cher_." Francis's accent practically dripped with sarcasm as he turned his attention to the unknown male at his friend's side. "I do not believe that I have ever seen you on Avalon's soils before."

"Don't start you two." Arthur sighed, stepping firmly between the two taller blondes. "Francis, this is an urgent matter. One that we need to discuss _before_ facing my brother."

He turned, continuing to walk in the direction that he and Alfred had been heading in, the look of worry now looking dangerously clear on his features.

_How on _earth _was he supposed to explain Alfred?_

_

* * *

_

"So let me get this perfectly clear," Francis started, the serious expression he held looking out of place on his usually proud features. "Your circle was a success and you landed in the sister world, but had used up too much of your magic and fell ill _and _you lost your voice." He clicked his tongue, glancing down at the sandy blonde. "I'm not sure it will convince your brother, Arthur."

"It's the only explanation I have for why I did not return when I said I would and it's the truth." Arthur's frown deepened, speaking without returning the other's gaze.

"And what are you going to do about this one?" The two stopped, waiting for a now extremely overwhelmed Alfred, who was gawking at whatever caught his eye.

"I don't know." He rubbed his unusually thick brow, trying to work some kind of plan out in his head. "I hadn't exactly planned for him to come back here with me."

"You have the worst luck, _mon ami_." Francis flicked his hair over his shoulder, chuckling to himself.

"You're the last person I want to hear that from." Arthur grumbled, "You're the one who got caught while we were on the run. As I recall, I was not the only one planning on travelling to the sister world. And putting my luck aside, at least I actually made it there and back in one piece, unlike-! Oi! Alfred!" He cut himself off, catching sight of the younger teen reaching up to pick the fruit from the closest tree.

"What? I'm hungry. Thanks to someone I missed breakfast!" Alfred whined, pouting over at the other two.

"Pick that and you're likely to get cursed by whatever spirit inhabits that tree. I'm sure you can wait until we arrive before you eat."

"But Artie!"

"Just try calling me that again-!"

"Now, now." Francis cut across them, chuckling to himself. "There's no need for shouting. However, I do belief that on this occasion it would be wise to heed _'Artie's' _warning."

"Don't you start, frog, or I'll-"

"Ah! And here we are!" He interrupted again, flourishing towards the wall in front of them.

The wall was covered from top to bottom in ivy tangled so thickly that the stone was barely visible under its leaves.

The town was quaint, just how Arthur remembered. Nothing had changed in the time he had been away. The houses were still sparsely scattered around the clearing, small, but big enough for the families that accommodated them. The white washed walls reflected the deep green of the grass surrounding them, as well as the small flowers that poked up occasionally in their own variety of colours.

And they were heading to the largest building of them all, its grand oak doors standing tall ahead of them.

Alfred darted forwards, catching up with Arthur. He leant down slightly, whispering in the other's ear. "So, erm, who _is_ that guy?" He gestured to Francis, who was walking a few paces in front.

"Unfortunately," Arthur sighed, "he's probably my oldest friend. Even if he _is_ a complete and utter git."

"_Je t'aime trop,_ Arthur." Francis called back, waving over his shoulder. "If you would like, then I will leave you to face your brother alone."

"Do that and you'll be eating the book where you learnt that poor excuse for a language." Arthur snapped back, glaring at his friend's back.

"Your brother?"

"The less said about him, the better. You'll see soon enough anyway." He sighed, pushing one of the gigantic doors open. "Now be quiet or we'll be lucky if we just end up looking like toadstools."

"Wait! Arthur, _this_ is _your_ house?" Alfred gawked at the long tiled floor in front of him as Arthur opened the door.

It was amazing. Warm sunlight poured through the small windows dotted up the hallway towards yet another set of enormous doors. The walls were richly decorated in forest green drapes and golden frames that surrounded fine paintings of people he'd never seen before, but nearly all of whom shared Arthur's large eyebrows.

"Didn't I just tell you to keep your voice down!" Arthur barked at him, immediately regretting it as the doors ahead of them swung open, revealing an ever familiar room to him. "Oh great." He clicked his tongue, eyes darting to the side to see Alfred's startled expression and Francis looking back at him.

"Master Arthur!" A young girl with short, bobbed hair darted out of the room, her pink dress billowing out behind her as she sped down the corridor.

"Lily." He gave the girl a short smile. "You've cut your hair since last time."

"Ah, yes." She ran her fingers over the tips. "I wanted it to look like my brother's… B-but! I cannot speak of such things now! Your brother instructed me to tell you to be properly attired before you see him! You have to come with me." She panted a little after saying so much.

"Hey, you lot!" Another bobbed blonde stuck his head around the door. "What are you saying to my sister?" He followed up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I assure you we have caused her no inconvenience, Vash." Arthur replied, his polite face covering his annoyance at how he had been addressed.

"Good." Vash stood up a little straighter, "Now, Lily, you had better show him to his quarters, or the Lord will start getting impatient."

"Ah, y-yes." Lily nodded her head to Francis, her eyes pausing on Alfred for a moment longer, before she indicated for Arthur to follow.

Before doing so, however, Arthur turned, grabbing Alfred's arm and pulling him a little closer. "Don't let them get to you, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Arthur?" He looked into those green eyes, smiled and nodded. "Don't worry I'll be careful. After all, I'm a hero, right?"

"Dolt." Arthur chuckled, patting the arm he had been holding and went after Lily down a side corridor.

Vash turned to Francis, glaring at him to make up for the fact he was several inches shorter than both him and Alfred. "The Lord says that he will see you and the _guest_ now."

"_Will_ he now?" Francis chuckled, groping the shortest blonde's backside (just for good measure) as he led Alfred up towards the open double doors. "I suppose we shouldn't keep him waiting then."

The inside of the hall was even grander than the one they had just come from. A candlelit chandelier hung from the impossibly high ceiling, its light glowing onto the floor and right into the corners of the room. Royal blues and golds were the decorations this time, with velvet carpets leading the way to the back wall and up two curved staircases to another landing. In the centre of the stairs though, there was a gaudy, heavily carved wooden chair, on which lounged a rather grumpy looking man.

"Yer late, Francis." He spat out, glaring out from under his heavy brow.

"What can I say?" Francis smiled, giving the man a short bow as he continued in front of Alfred down one of the deep blue rugs. "Time is not one of my masters."

"Aye, I guess not." The man returned, standing up and clapping Francis on the back so that he stumbled slightly. "And Arthur?"

"Is getting ready, as you wished." Francis chuckled, remembering Arthur's annoyance at his brother's order.

"Good." He turned, red hair falling over his eyes as he faced Alfred. "And you must be the one from the sister world, then?"

"Err…" Alfred stuttered.

So this was Arthur's brother. He was slightly intimidating, despite the fact that they were pretty much the same height. He wore a blue robe over a white tunic and dress trousers over his broad shoulders. His eyes were a muddy brown, a lot harsher than his younger brother's brilliant green ones and it occurred to Alfred that even though the two were brothers, this man's only resemblance to Arthur were his eyebrows.

"This is Alfred." Francis quickly cut in, draping an arm around the taller blonde's shoulders, much like he had done with Arthur earlier. "And due to complications of no one's fault, he was able to follow Arthur back to Avalon."

"Aye? Is that right, now?" He circled Alfred once, looking the teen up and down before his gruff smile returned to his face. "I'm William Kirkland, Avalon's Lord."

"Alfred F Jones." Alfred returned the introduction, extending out a hand to shake William's.

"Not bad, laddie." William laughed, his eyes glinting.

"Don't you dare touch him, William!" A voice shouted down from the top of one of the staircases, its owner storming down them.

Arthur stood at the foot of the stairs, his cloak and old tunic replaced by creamy-white dress trousers and a long emerald green tunic that narrowed at the front. Someone had made a failed attempt to tame his messy blonde hair, making it look even more untidy as a result. His eyes were furious, but looked all the brighter thanks to his new clothes.

"Ah, Arthur." William turned away from Alfred. "Nice of you to join us, little brother."

"Drop the nice act, would you." Arthur glared up at his elder brother, "What were you going to do to Alfred?"

"And what right does the fourth son out of five have to question his oldest brother?" The atmosphere had become decidedly stale since Arthur had re-entered, the two brothers' relationship so obviously sour even without anyone saying so. "You are not even of age yet. The red line is still absent on your left hand."

"There's still time for that." Arthur spat back, his expression darkening further.

"Even Francis has received his, aren't you two similar ages?"

"Ah, please leave me out of this." Francis glanced between the two, taking a small step backwards closer to Alfred.

"I would even wager that you did not tell your new friend that you are nobility." He smirked at the differing expressions on the two younger blondes – Arthur's of increasing anger, and Alfred's a mixture of shock and excitement. "Seems like I was right."

"Is this a new obscure way of punishing me?" Arthur growled, looking up from under his bangs, "Because it is only succeeding in annoying me further."

"Punishment? God, no! That would be too tame for the likes of you." William moved so that he shadowed Arthur, tilting the boy's chin up so that he could see those green eyes. "I am simply welcoming you back after your long period of absence."

"Well it's a pretty strange method of welcoming."

"Only the best for my brother." The redhead goaded, as if daring Arthur to make a move against him before backing off once more. "But enough of that. I don't really want to be on the receiving end of your magic today." He shot his brother an all too familiar grin that Alfred had seen Arthur show on the occasions when he was in one of his more evil moods. "Francis, if you would show our guest to one of the guest rooms and have Lily bring him a change of clothes while his are washed. That little wander in the forest has you looking a little worse for wear."

"Of course." Francis made another elaborate flourish, before steering Alfred aside.

"Frog." Arthur snapped at the other's retreating figure.

"_Oui?_" Francis chuckled, anticipated the threat he was about to receive.

"Try anything and believe me, you'll be losing something of great importance to you, and I'm _not_ talking about your pretty little face."

"Yes, yes." He waved over his shoulder, continuing to lead Alfred from the room. "Come now, let us get you out of those clothes and into something more suitable for your handsome figure."

The door closed behind them, finally leaving Arthur alone in the hall with his brother. The silence stretched uncomfortably between them as William turned and flopped back down in his chair, beckoning Arthur to come closer.

"The others are?" Arthur broke the quiet, not being able to stand it a moment longer.

"Edward's following his line into the fields in the east. Said he felt a pull from there or something. No word from Eoin as usual, damn bastard. And Peter's busy with his training, as he should be." William sighed, keeping track of all four of his younger brothers was a busy enough task in itself, without being Lord of the Manor on top of it all.

"Not much of a change , then." Arthur closed his eyes, running a hand over his hair and making it even messier as a result.

"Aye." William nodded, "However, I am _dying_ to hear your little story, Artie." He sniggered at the teen's evident flinch. "Don't think you can get away without _some_ sort of explanation. And trust me, little brother, if it's not good enough, then your punishment will be all the worse."

* * *

Alfred sat on the edge of the bed, not quite knowing where to look first. The bed was _huge!_ Easily three times the size of his double at home _and_ it was a four-poster! And the room! This one was decorated in deep reds and burgundy, really rich and sophisticated, though not quite as much as the grand hall.

He didn't really know what he could and couldn't touch, so much so that he even felt awkward sitting on the tiny amount of the bed that he was occupying.

It had gotten dark outside some time ago, leaving Alfred more than a little worried. What on earth would Matt think of him disappearing all day, especially since Arthur had gone as well. It wasn't like when he would just clear off to Kiku's for a night or two when they would get carried away playing too many video games. No, there was no doubt that Matt would be more than just worried.

"Aah…" He breathed out, flopping backwards. "What am I gonna do?"

A quiet knock sounded at the door before it opened a crack and Arthur's head appeared around it. "Alfred?"

"Hmm? Arthur?" Alfred leant back up on his elbows, watching Arthur come further into the room. "What's up?"

"Ah? Nothing. Just had enough of the lecturing." Arthur lay down next to him, stretching out and rubbing his eyes. "That guy never gets tired of giving me a hard time."

In the time since Alfred had last seen the older teen, Arthur had discarded his tunic, leaving him wearing a black cropped shirt with his dress trousers (showing off his slim figure nicely, but Alfred ignored this thought).

"They found some clothes for you then?"

"Yeah." Alfred nodded, picking at the collar of the light blue shirt he had been given until his own clothes were clean. "They don't feel right. It's too formal."

"Really?" Arthur rolled onto his side, contemplating the other blonde. "I think it looks good. It compliments your eyes."

Alfred turned to face Arthur, his grin returning. "You think so?"

"Ah… yes…" The smaller teen quickly turned away again, a smattering of pink darkening his cheeks.

He looked back, only to find Alfred staring down at him, not more than an inch away from his face.

"What- What are you doing?"

"Just thinking." Alfred chuckled, smiling down at him. "You looked pretty good too, earlier I mean. I don't know about me, but these kinda clothes really suit you."

"Hmph." Arthur pouted, glancing away once more. "Git."

"Oh, come _on_, Artie! It was a compliment!"

"I don't need compliments like that." He muttered, hiding the small smile that had appeared on his face and willing the heat on his face to fade.

Alfred sighed, rolling onto his back to look at the crimson drapes hanging over head. "Hey, Arthur?"

"Hmm?"

"What's the 'red line'?" He let his eyes wander back over to Arthur's lying figure, watching the expression change on his face. "Your brother mentioned it."

"Yes. I suppose he did." Arthur sat up, running his hand through his hair awkwardly. "But I don't see how it would interest you."

"What can I say?" Alfred chuckled, "I'm curious. This is a whole new world to me, remember."

"Well…" Arthur paused, crossing his arms in his lap. "The red line symbolises when one comes of age in Avalon - when one becomes an adult. It is a sign that one's destined partner now exists and you become drawn to them, joined together by the 'red line'. It is a form of this world's deepest magic."

"Like the red string of fate?" Alfred smiled, leaning up on his elbows.

"The what?"

"Some Japanese legend that Kiku told me about. The red string of fate that joins you to your soul-mate."

"Well, I guess that's one way of putting it. Soul-mate, huh? That boy certainly has ways of explaining things." Arthur relaxed, the corners of his lips turning up slightly at the thought. "It's a nice idea."

"I think so too. I mean, it's like destiny, right? Kinda cool." Alfred laughed, sitting up so that his feet could reach the floor again.

"William has always used it as a way to treat me as a child, it's vexing really. Especially now that Francis has come of age. Bloody frog. He can't even be bothered to search for his kindred. So much for '_love is my only true master_'." He said in a perfect imitation of his friend's accent.

Something thumped against the door as it banged open, a girl with long brown pigtails standing just outside, a frown fixed on her face.

"_There_ you are, eyebrows bastard." She spat at Arthur.

"Angelique." Arthur sighed, his shoulders dropping at the sight of Francis's unruly younger sister. "And how can I help you this evening. You do know that you are interrupting a conversation?"

"I couldn't care less." She shrugged, taking a step further into the room, totally ignoring Alfred's existence. "_M__on frère_ told me to pass on the message that you are not to leave the manor tonight. Orders from the Lord, I'm afraid."

"Why, thank you." Arthur smirked, the sarcasm almost dripping from his words. "I'll try to keep that in mind. In the meantime though, when did you turn into a little messenger girl? Surely you wouldn't normally deliver such a message to a 'bastard' like me?"

Angelique's face turned red, glaring at the two blondes. "I wasn't doing you a favour. I just wanted to see your face when yet another of your freedoms was denied of you. And now that I have done that, good night." She turned, sending them another scathing expression, before sweeping out of the room and slamming the door shut.

"…And she was…?" Alfred finally asked after the ringing of the door's bang had ended.

"Francis's sister." Arthur chuckled. "His total opposite, but has lived like his shadow for as long as I can remember. She'll become quite the lady one day, though not yet."

"Oh." Alfred said, not really liking the way that Arthur spoke about the boisterous girl.

"And I suppose that just leaves one thing." Arthur stood, gesturing for Alfred to do the same. "Time to take a stroll, I think."

"But I thought she just said-"

"Ah, but Alfred, you see that's just a challenge. As if my dear older brother could really keep me trapped within the walls of this house. That's simply preposterous, don't you agree?" His smirk had grown at the idea of defying his brother again, but softened when he turned to see Alfred's overly confused expression. "Besides, there's something I want to show you."

"What?" Alfred finally stood, his head unconsciously tilting to one side in his very child-like manner.

"It's a surprise"

* * *

"Where're we going?" Alfred whined, dragging his feet behind him.

They had been walking for some time now, Arthur ignoring all the younger teen's complaints after they had snuck out of the manor (even though they had probably been spotted by Francis – Alfred swore he had heard some French being spouted as they had passed through one of the rooms).

"For the last time, if I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? Come on, it's not much further." Arthur huffed, glancing over his shoulder and raising his eyebrows when Alfred let out another groan. He had donned his old cloak again, hoping to hide himself at least somewhat from his brother's subordinates.

It was completely dark outside now, emphasised mostly by the significant lack of electric street lamps with the small village paths being lit by a smattering of oil-lamps on each corner.

Unfortunately for Alfred, they weren't on any of these paths, rather heading further into the woods at the back of the manor. And even though they weren't anywhere near as thick as those that they had passed through earlier in the day, it was still a hell of a lot more sinister at night, almost as if a ghost would pop out at any moment (not that ghosts are real or anything).

"Stop being so bloody jumpy." Arthur chuckled back at him. "You're making my hair stand on end."

"I'm not being jumpy." Alfred grumbled, pouting at the back of the older teen's head just as he stepped on a twig that snapped rather loudly. "What was that?"

"Stop being such a baby." Arthur sighed, grabbing his hand.

Alfred's eyes went wide and the sudden contact, but didn't try to pull away. He knew that his face must've been bright red and just hoped for the life of him that Arthur wouldn't notice in the dark. He unconsciously felt his legs carry on moving without really knowing where he was heading, just that Arthur's hand had gotten warmer since he had first clasped it.

"Don't worry. The tree spirits are safe, I assure you." Arthur smiled back at him, that small almost non-existent smile that sent butterflies fluttering about in the pit of Alfred's stomach. "Ah! There it is!"

They finally emerged from the trees, stepping out into a small clearing, completely covered by a shallow pond. A thin mist covered the surface, giving the space a mysterious glow that almost looked blue under the moonlight. A few moss covered rocks and boulders split the water's surface in odd places.

"This spot always makes me feel at peace." Arthur breathed out, closing his eyes and listening to the light trickle of the stream that led into the clearing.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Alfred stepped forward, following Arthur as he walked into the water.

"Not quite." Arthur's smile grew, gesturing for Alfred to sit on one of the rocks. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I say."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Ever the curious one, aren't you? It's all part of my surprise." He shook his head, glancing at the other blonde. "Close your eyes."

"Okay, okay. I'm closing them" Alfred teased, poking Arthur's leg as he sat down.

"Good. Now be quiet and no peeking. Don't want you ruining your surprise now."

Alfred could hear Arthur's footsteps in the water as he took a few steps away, the small ripples tickling at his ankles. A breeze blew casually through the clearing, rustling the surrounding trees and making Arthur's cloak flap out around his legs.

Arthur mumbled a few words under his breath, barely audible above the wind in the leaves, but Alfred could still feel the effects of the older teen's magic.

The airstream picked up, whirling around the pond so that Alfred could hear the movement of Arthur's cloak wrapping itself around him. And then it appeared. A faint light that he could make out even behind his eyelids. That familiar green that glowed every time the blonde used his powers. But it was different this time. It was fainter, not as bold as usual, even if it did feel just as powerful and mysterious as ever.

And then, just as quickly as it had started, it all ended. The light faded and the wind dropped so that the only remaining noise was that of the trickling stream, but even that seemed a little quieter now.

"Don't make a sound." Arthur murmured, his eyes darting back towards the younger teen. "And keep your eyes shut."

"But-"

"Not a sound, Alfred." He pressed a finger to the other boy's lips, smiling even though he knew Alfred couldn't see it.

Alfred huffed, but still grinned at Arthur's attempts to keep him quiet. But then he realised why. Even with his eyes shut he could see them appear. Faint lights were hovering in front of them, all different colours and gradually increasing in numbers by the second.

"Now," Arthur's smile widened, "you can open your eyes."

And as he did, Alfred's eyes went wide.

Hundreds and hundreds of floating lights had filled his vision in just as many different colours. They completely overshadowed the light shed by the moon, instead turning the small area a variety of warmer colours that also cast the trees around them into massive shadows. They were incredible! Like fireworks but without the bangs and flashes.

He was so caught up in what was in front of him, however, that he didn't feel himself stand and take a few steps forward in the water. Alfred simply focused on the light directly ahead of him, following it unconsciously until something tugged him back.

"Don't follow them!" Arthur warned, stepping in front of Alfred and frowning at the golden glow that was now hovering close to the edge of the woods.

Alfred shook his head, refocusing his gaze of Arthur, whose face was lit by all the different coloured hues, his eyes reflecting them but at the same time surveying them, making sure they didn't get too close to the two of them.

"What _are_ they?"

"Will-o'-Wisps." Arthur's smile returned. "Amazing little creatures, but mischievous. They can lead a traveller far from his path and then leave them lost in the woods if they are not treated properly." He shot another look at the Wisp that had now floated away from the trees. "No one is really sure what they are born from, but this group is fairly young. They like to have a bit of fun with unsuspecting strangers every now and again."

"Then why don't they go after you?" Alfred found himself stuck looking at Arthur, even with all that surrounded them.

"They wouldn't dare." Arthur smirked. He glanced at Alfred, catching the younger teen staring at him. "Hm? What's wrong?"

"Ah? Oh, nothing." Alfred quickly looked away in a poor attempt at distracting himself. "They really are _awesome_."

"Again with that word? Well, I suppose it can't be helped." Arthur chuckled, sitting down on one of the rocks jutting out of the water, closing his eyes and leaning back.

He vaguely felt Alfred perch down next to him, his feet splashing in the water.

"Alfred."

"Yeah?"

Arthur sighed, opening his eyes again and looking at the other boy.

"Why did you grab my hand back then? Why did you try to stop me?" It had been on his mind the whole time since he had returned to Avalon. Alfred had definitely tried to prevent him from coming back. He hadn't wanted him to leave. And now he was stuck in Avalon the same way Arthur had been trapped in the sister world.

Alfred looked at him, rubbing the back of his neck the way he always did when he was nervous. "I really don't know. I didn't really think about it when it happened." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking anywhere but at Arthur. "I just didn't like the idea of you leaving like that."

Arthur smiled, letting himself fall to the side to lean on Alfred's shoulder, chuckling under his breath. "You're hopeless, you know that? Completely and utterly hopeless." He ignored the heat on his cheeks, instead noticing that Alfred's had also turned red. "But then, so am I."

He looked up to meet Alfred's eyes, a matching grin on the other blonde's face which softened faintly, though the smile was still there.

And then Alfred was above him, pushing him back so that he lay in the shallow pool, his cloak floating out underneath him.

Alfred's face was cast into shadow; the glow of the Wisp's still present in the air surrounding them.

They must've only been inches apart. He could feel the other's breath on his face, warm and mingling with his own as he stared upwards.

Alfred's eyes were dark, his glasses slipping down his nose as he knelt in the water. He could feel the water seeping into the knees of his pants, steadily soaking them, but disregarded it, instead giving all his attention to the one below him.

Arthur had never felt anything like it. It was like something was pulling at his chest, the butterflies in the pit of his stomach going insane the more he looked up at Alfred. The only reassurance he had was the red tinge to Alfred's cheeks that he knew matched his own.

"You're all wet, Artie." Alfred chuckled slightly, not taking his eyes off the figure below him.

Arthur frowned up at him, though was quickly replaced by his almost non-existent smile. "So are you, you gi-"

He never got to finish his sentence as Alfred closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a passionate, albeit clumsy (and sloppy) kiss.

His eyes went wide, not expecting the sudden contact. And then Alfred moved, one arm slipping under Arthur's form and pulling him closer into his embrace without breaking the kiss.

Alfred hadn't really thought about it when he had moved. All he knew was that at that very moment Arthur had looking simply _breath-taking_, and then the next thing he knew, he had kissed him. He wasn't really surprised that Arthur had immediately frozen beneath him; they hadn't exactly set out planning for this kind of thing to happen. And yet, it was kinda relaxing when the smaller teen pulled himself up into Alfred's arms, wrapping his own around him so that they were held together even closer.

One by one the lights around them slowly started to fade, eventually leaving them bathed in the silver light of the moon once more, the water rippling around them as it glistened in the night.

The pulling sensation in Arthur's chest felt stronger as they separated for breath. He was completely entrapped by the reflections of the ripples in Alfred eyes, the bright blue of them leaving him oblivious to the soft red glow that circled his own hand.

* * *

**Lily: **Liechtenstein

**William:** Scotland

**Edward:** Wales

**Eoin:** Ireland

**Angelique: **Seychelles

**[A/N:** Hey guys~ I'm back again!

Sorry for the long wait with this chapter, I've been caught up with other stuff (such as University... .)

However, this one is slightly longer than the others to make up for it! ^^;;

Since last time I've managed to finish my images for my "What's in a Name?" fic, which you can find on my profilt =) I'm soooo pleased with them now that they're done and will be posting up a full colour pic of one of the last parts of the story just to finish the whole thing up sometime in the near future hopefully.

(I also need to work on chapter 4 of this... eheh...)**]**


	4. The Line in the Shadows

**What Your Eyes Can't See**

_Chapter Four_

* * *

Alfred woke up to the blurry image of an unfamiliar room, taking a few moments to remember that he was not in his own room, or even his own world. The strangest part being when he stretched his arm out and couldn't reach the edge of the bed.

He could make out the deep forest green curtains hanging around him in the massive room, the shapes of other pieces of furniture just dim shadows in the midmorning light.

There was some comfort amongst all the unfamiliarity though, and that was the warm weight pressed up against his side. It surprised him that, even though the bed made his own double at home look like a sleeping bag in comparison, he and Arthur had managed to stay snuggled together in the centre.

They had crept back into the manor as the sun had begun to appear over the horizon, after they had realized that the glow of the wisps and the moonlight had faded from the clearing.

He felt his face heat up just thinking about the previous night and shifted so that he was looking at the man sleeping next to him, remembering only too well the feel of Arthur's lips on his. It wasn't a bad feeling… but he still knew that his face had gotten even redder just thinking about it.

Arthur was by no means the most graceful sleeper he'd ever seen. It wasn't like he was drooling or anything, but the way he slept didn't exactly look comfortable. Despite the size of the blankets, he had somehow managed to tie them around himself, wrapping his leg around them so that he was almost hugging them. And Alfred wasn't _quite_ sure just how Arthur managed to sleep while lying on his arm like that… but he was still pressed up against him, his cheek rubbing up against Alfred's arm every time he made a small movement. Every tiny breath the sandy blonde took was warm against him and Alfred couldn't help but smile.

He rolled onto his side, doing his very best not to disturb Arthur's sleep, and took to running his fingers through the older teen's, even messier than usual, hair, relishing in the small, satisfied murmur that escaped his lips.

It was a little while later that Arthur finally rolled over, the hand playing with his hair starting to disrupt his dreams. He could feel the morning chill on his leg where it stuck out from under the covers, his trouser-leg having ridden up while he was sleeping. He blinked, the sleep fully leaving him as he remember just whose hand it was. "What are you doing?" He mumbled, opening one eye to look up at Alfred.

The younger teen started, withdrawing his hand quickly to scratch the back of his own head as he always did out of habit. He let out a sort of awkward laugh as Arthur turned around completely, reinserting his leg back under the covers. "Ah- nothing… just thought you looked kinda peaceful and just ended up doing that. Sorry if I woke you up."

Arthur looked away, not wanting Alfred to know that his face had suddenly heated up, and pretended to try and ease the aching sensation he had in his arm from sleeping on it. "That's quite alright." He said shortly, willing the blush to disappear. "It's about time I woke up anyway."

It was only now, with Arthur facing away, that Alfred noticed it. The faint red glow circling one of the fingers on Arthur's left hand. It was like a translucent string, leading off his finger and disappearing under the covers.

Arthur was bolt upright as soon as the covers were thrown back, utterly taken aback by Alfred's sudden movement. "Wha-! What on _earth_ are you _doing_?"

Alfred didn't answer at first, still looking for where the line led to. It was long and tangled, but despite it all, still had an uncanny resemblance to the one he had seen on Francis's hand the day before.

"Artie… what's this light?" He pointed to the circle around Arthur's finger.

Just the confused look was enough to gain Arthur's concern as he looked to where Alfred had indicated, his eyes going wide almost immediately as he grabbed at his hand, staring at the red glow in shock.

It couldn't be. How? It was faint, but most definitely there. The red line.

As he raised his hand, the line had immediately gotten shorter, as if coming to attention, though its tangles were still present, matching his own confusion only too well.

There was only one problem though. Unlike all the other lines he had seen, his brothers', Francis's, his faded and disappeared out of sight, instead of continuing on until it met the person on the other end.

Maybe he was ready but they were not? But something like that had never happened before. And _why_ was his line suddenly appearing now? He hadn't had some amazing epiphany. He hadn't realized anything new about himself. Maybe it was something to do with his arrival back in Avalon? Maybe it was something to do with-!

"Alfred, show me your hands!"

"What? Why?" Alfred, rightly, looked surprised, not expecting Arthur's sudden outburst.

"Just show me your hands!"

He and Alfred had kissed! That had to be it! But that would mean that he and Alfred were- but no one from two different worlds had ever been fated partners before.

But then Alfred raised his hands, completely void of that telling red glow.

He should have known. If a kiss was all it took for one's fated partner to be found then he would have been stuck with Francis after that one drunken evening two years ago (that his brother must never _ever_ learn of).

But that didn't stop his heart from sinking when he saw the younger teen's very empty left hand.

The thought surprised him slightly. Why on earth was he hoping so badly that it was Alfred?

"It's what I think it is, isn't it?" Alfred broke the silence, his expression strangely sombre for someone who was usually grinning like there was no tomorrow.

"It doesn't matter." Arthur decided, leaning back against the pillows, folding his arms over chest.

"But-"

"Right now," He cut across him, starting straight into those deep blue eyes, and making his choice there and then, "I would rather spend my time with you, than waste it looking for unknown person."

"Arthur…" Alfred's eyes looked even wider without his glasses, and he knew that he was blushing all the way to his ears. The only reassurance being that Arthur was in exactly the same state.

Unseen to them, one of the tangles in the line suddenly loosened and fell away, becoming more smooth before leading into another messy loop as it faded into invisibility.

Alfred suddenly doubled over, scrunching his eyes up in pain, before he opened them wide, taking gasping breaths as it left him.

Arthur had leapt forward as it had happened, wrapping his arms around the other's more muscular back and trying to help Alfred's breathing return to normal.

Alfred looked far too pale when he looked up again. Sweat had gathered on his forehead in his struggle and was threatening to start running down his face. He looked sick, like he had just woken up from a nightmare. It had been so sudden that Arthur didn't know how to react until it had passed.

"S-sorry." Alfred stuttered, still clutching at the front of his shirt.

"Are you alright?" Arthur let his hands fall away from Alfred's back, resting on his arms instead, the concerned look etched into his features.

"Yeah." He breathed out. "I don't know what it was. My check just suddenly really hurt."

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?" Arthur was still peering at him, nervous that one wrong move would cause Alfred to keel over again.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." The grin was back, if a little tamer than usual, "I'm a hero, remember? Something like that won't kill me." He laughed, trying to convince the other (overly serious) teen. "Seriously man, I'm fine. Awesome, even."

"You don't know that!" Arthur was sitting up straight all of a sudden, his frown firmly back in place. "You're still not used to being in this world. What if this is a reaction to the magic or because of the wisps last night? How can we possibly know what to expect?"

"Arthur." Alfred placed his hands on the smaller blonde's shoulders, squeezing slightly as he made eye-contact with him, his tone completely serious. "Relax. I know all that, but it's no use being pessimistic, right? I wanna spend time with you too, okay? So don't worry about it." He gave a reassuring smile, clapping Arthur once on the back, before swinging out from under the blankets and shuffling over to the edge of the bed. "We should get up, right? Do you think they're done with my clothes? I kinda prefer them to these."

Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes, also making his way off of the bed, making sure to hide his small smile from the fool on the other side. "Very well, if you insist."

* * *

A while later found Arthur sitting alone outside, the sun peeking out between the deep green leaves of the tree he was resting under. Finally some peace.

Alfred had left to take a bath, but only after he'd caused a massive ruckus when two of the manor's maids had attempted to follow and assist him. They had only left the idiot alone when Arthur had come running to the rescue, his hair still dripping from his own bath.

But then, of course Alfred would not be accustomed to such things. He most definitely did not have the same background as Arthur. In his own world he was just a regular teenage boy. He was not nobility, he was not particularly wealthy, but he and his family had always lived comfortably despite all that.

And yet, here Arthur was, having lived with Alfred and his brother for the past few weeks, getting used to their way of living, and then adapting straight back into his usual routine as soon as he was safely back in Avalon again.

He sighed, leaning his head back so he was looking up through the tree's branches, the light dancing around him as they rustled once more.

And then there was that _thing_ to worry about. The line the connected him to seemingly nothing had grown slightly brighter since it had been first discovered that morning. He had only just noticed that it was slightly less knotted than before. These things really were beyond him. He did not truly believe himself ready to tie himself completely to another.

And then there was Alfred. Alfred, who had said in turn that he wanted to spend his time with Arthur. Alfred, who had tried and succeeded in stopping Arthur from leaving his side, even if it meant he was dragged into an unfamiliar world. Alfred, who right now, filled almost all of Arthur's thoughts.

"Ah, so here you are, _mon ami_." Francis really did have a habit of popping up when he was not wanted. "I have been searching for you for some time."

Arthur grumbled, his frown deepening slightly when his friend sat down next to him, reclining on the soft grass.

"Where is our dear Alfred? Surely you did not leave him to get lost in the manor by himself?"

"Of course not." He almost spat out, his patience with the other blonde already wearing thin. "He is bathing."

"Ah, I should imagine that it would have been well needed after your little escapade into the forest last night." Francis chuckled at the redness that had suddenly donned Arthur's cheeks, "Did you honestly believe that you would go unnoticed? Especially since both of your bedrooms where empty for some time during the lunar period. Although the two of you did look rather peaceful this morning when I went to wake you. I just could not bring myself to disturb you."

"Are you just here to goad me or do you have a valid reason for breaking my concentration?" Arthur tried to mask his embarrassment with anger, knowing only too well that the heat in his face betrayed him.

"I just wished to see how you were coping with being back on Avalon's soils again." Francis let his eyes wander up and down the disgruntled teen, his smile still strongly sitting on his features.

"I am perfectly fine." Arthur had had enough, and he shifted to his feet. "I have more pressing matters to worry about rather than my adaptation back to this world."

Francis watched as Arthur seemed to unconsciously cover his left hand with the other, his expression becoming worried with the furrow in his brow. He followed his gaze down to the hidden hand and saw it. The faintest glow of red peeping out from between the fingers.

He quickly grabbed at Arthur's wrist before he had the chance to react against him, "Surely not, Arthur? Why did you not say anything?" He let his smile widen, "This is not something you should be worrying over. This is the greatest of news."

"Let go, frog!" Arthur wrenched his hand away, glaring at the man and wondering more and more why he considered him his friend. "How is this good news? If anything it is a burden. Just look at it!"

Francis obliged, if only to humour his younger friend. But then he saw the problem that was troubling Arthur so much, letting his eyes go wide at the sight of the disappearing line.

"Now do you see?" Arthur hid his hand again, his frown lessening slightly. "How many people have you heard of having a vanishing line? I certainly have never heard of it before. It is a burden."

"Love should never be considered a burden, Arthur?" Francis's expression was uncharacteristically solemn, allowing his hair to fall slightly over his face. "Maybe you should speak with your brother."

"Are you joking?" Arthur shot him another glare. "He's last person I want to speak to about this. He would just use it as another excuse to belittle and humiliate me. I can deal with it myself."

"William knows when I matter is serious, Arthur."

"Then you obviously don't know my brother the way I do." Arthur grumbled, standing up. "I do not wish to think on the matter any further for now, anyway. If you're so hung up on the idea of love then I suggest that you follow your own line to find yours rather than worrying over mine. I, however, have a guest to entertain."

Francis watched as Arthur turned on his heel and stormed back into the building, his tunic billowing out behind him as he went. He'd worn red, probably in some vain attempt to hide the glow that encircled his finger, though the keen eye could still easily pick it out.

He stood, brushing his hair out of his eyes, a sad smile fixed on his features. "Arthur, love should not be the cause of pain, no matter how hard it may be to accept it."

* * *

"Dry your hair properly, git."

Arthur had entered his bedroom to find Alfred staring out of the window, back in his usual t-shirt and jeans, with a towel hung over his shoulders to catch the drips from his still soaking wet hair.

Alfred turned to face him, his grin already set in place as he made a point to shake a few drops of water from his hair in Arthur's direction. His laugh was annoyingly contagious, as per usual, and Arthur found himself letting his lips tug up at the corners as he rolled his eyes at the younger teen. "You're hopeless."

He sighed, closing the short distance between them and grabbing the cloth from Alfred's shoulders before throwing it over the boy's head and ruffling his hair accordingly. He heard another muffled laugh from under it, "What're you? My mother?" which earn Alfred a rather hard tug to his hair, Arthur's smirk carefully hidden by the towel over his face.

The laughter faded and the lapsed into silence, Arthur continuing the gently rub over Alfred's hair until it was no longer dripping onto his shoulders and the floor.

He drew back and found himself meeting those too blue eyes, surprised with the deep look Alfred was giving him. He collected himself, pulling the towel away from Alfred and letting it drop onto the edge of the bed, never once breaking eye contact with the other blonde.

"I've been thinking." Alfred finally said, blinking and lowering his gaze slightly.

"A dangerous pastime." Arthur smiled, brushing the lingering hairs out of Alfred's eyes.

"No, I mean, I've _really_ been thinking." He frowned slightly, pushing his glasses back onto his face. "About yesterday- last night. And this morning. And what you said – what I said too – and well…" he trailed off, he cheeks considerably more pink then when he had started.

"'Well' what, Alfred?" Arthur's voice was calm, the smile not fading from his features.

He was just standing there, hand still hovering after brushing the hair away, and Alfred couldn't stand it. He clenched his eyes shut for a few moments, trying and failing to clear his head before he finally just let himself fall.

He clasped Arthur's hand, closing the few inches between them and thanking whatever fate it was that Arthur had closed the bedroom door behind him.

He kissed him, small and chaste, but it was enough to convey what few words he hadn't been able to say.

Arthur stood there, the shock only too evident on his face as the hand that wasn't tangled with Alfred's subconsciously raised to touch his lips. "Alfred…?"

"I- I thought about it all." Alfred's words stumbled out a little too quickly, and he cringed at how frantic he was sounding. He had sat in the bathtub for far longer than he needed to, just mulling it all over. Had he really meant what he had said – what he had _done_ – to Arthur? The kiss the previous night. Maybe he had just been caught up in the moment of it all. But no, it had been building the more time they had spent together.

He really had tried to stop Arthur from leaving when he was about to return to his own world, and the flood of relief that had hit him when he had opened his eyes and it had been _Arthur_ standing there, smirking and actually _speaking_ to him, hadn't been his imagination. It was so real that it was almost scary.

But he was a hero, and he wasn't scared of anything. Especially his own feelings.

And then, when he had seen Arthur standing there, bathed in the light of the wisps, he had just moved and it was just _perfect_. It was like his heart knew what he wanted and his brain just needed time to catch up with it. And that had happened when he had woken up next to the older blonde and admitted to him, before even he had even do so to himself, that he really did want to be with him. Right then, at that moment, Arthur was the most important thing to him.

He had just needed time to reassure himself. He needed to look past the guilt of leaving Matt in the dark and disappearing without a trace after the two of them had just had an argument about the very man he was getting so confused over.

But that was that. Matt would have to understand if he was ever able to return. If he ever _wanted_ to return.

And then Matt's question had hit him. _Did_ he love Arthur? Matt had said it so easily. And he hadn't known the answer to it back then in his rush to find the teen who had vanished that morning. But was that what these thing he was feeling were?

He'd never really been in love before. Sure he had dated, but Alfred could never say he _loved_ any of them. Besides, they were all back in high school before the summer. Before he'd accidently run into Arthur when his brother had found him in the rain.

Maybe there really was such a thing as fate.

Arthur was still looking at him, waiting for him to continue. His head was tilted slightly to the side, bright green eyes slightly wider than usual, betraying his obvious curiosity to Alfred's such uncharacteristic shyness. And Alfred cursed inwardly that yes, yes he did find Arthur cute, including his overly large eyebrows.

"I just…" he trailed off again, biting his lip and trying to find the right words. "I really did mean it this morning. What I said. Right now, all I want is to be with you." He sighed, relief that he'd said it washing over him. Arthur's eyes had widened all the more as he seemed to almost stumble backwards upon hearing the words. Alfred inwardly kicked himself. Was he moving too fast? "I mean, it's fine us being the way we are. But I really like spending my time with you. And yeah, I did try and stop you from leaving back then, but I'm really happy that I got to come here with you. I mean, I got to find out more about you, and see some really awesome stuff. And yeah, it's just awesome, y'know? I dunno why, but it's really nice, and it's cool, and well… I dunno. But I just-"

A finger was pressed up against his lips, effectively silencing him as Arthur stepped forward again, seemingly having regained his balance. And _God_! He was smiling again. Alfred could never get enough of that. It seemed to just melt the years and make Arthur look his age, rather than the grouchy teen he had forced himself to be in order to stand up to his brother and Francis.

His cheeks were very slightly pink as he let him hand drop back down again, entwining their fingers once more as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Me too." Arthur's voice soft, barely audible, and the smile grew just that slightest bit wider before the smaller blonde was tugging Alfred's hands so that he was drawn down and their lips met once more.

Arthur's heart was pounding in his chest faster than he had ever felt it before. He could barely feel the dampness of Alfred's hair pressed against his forehead as he pulled him closer, only wanting to deepen their contact.

How on earth could one person make him feel this way? Unless-

The final knots fell away, the line straightening out until it was perfectly smooth, and all uncertainly vanished with them.

"It's you." He breathed, breaking the contact between them and wrapping his arms around Alfred's shoulders.

Alfred's eyes widened as he heard the words, pulling Arthur back so that he was at arm's length, but his expression softened almost instantly. He couldn't help it. Just looking at Arthur made his breath catch in his throat.

The line fell between them, curving down from Arthur's hand and curving up towards Alfred just as it disappeared. _Why_ had it taken him so long to realise it?

Suddenly, as if spurred on by his thoughts, the line shone bright as fire. The heat intensified in Arthur's hand as it clasped Alfred's again, and started travelling down the length before flashing and the invisible was visible, shooting through Alfred's chest to his heart and settling there before slowly disappearing once more.

And Alfred buckled, falling to his knees at Arthur's feet while the other teen could only stare wide eyed, still grasping tightly onto his hand.

For Alfred, once again, everything fell into darkness.

* * *

"He's been by his bedside the entire time, my lord." Lily said, her voice even softer than usual. "He's barely eaten a thing for the last few days."

"Aye, this is a problem." William was standing by the window of his study, though he wasn't concentrating on the view out of it. His thick brow was furrowed deeply, concerned more than anything else with the situation at hand. "Any news on the situation, Lukas?"

"I believe so." A man with light blonde hair stepped forward, a neutral expression set firmly on his features. "From what the fae say, it is because the boy is without magic. One cannot be connected to a red line without the necessary power to support the bond. While the young master can support it, his destined one is not of Avalonian descent. They just hope that the sheer amount of power required for this bond will not be the end of him."

"It could kill him?" William turned so suddenly that Lukas took a step back, his partner, who had been standing by the door, moving forward to support him.

"William," Francis spoke up from where he sat in front of the fireplace, "what if we were to send Alfred back? From what Arthur has said, magic does not exist in the sister world. If we were to send him back then surely the effects of the bond on his body would be negated."

"That may work." Lukas spoke quietly, aimlessly flicking his loose curl out of his face. "Should I consult the fae on the matter?"

"Yes, yes. And be quick." The bags under William's eyes had gradually grown deeper over the past few days, the condition of his brother and the one he was bonded with growing ever worse. "The rest of you are also dismissed, I wish to speak with Francis alone."

The group slowly left the room, leaving the two remaining occupants in silence as William crossed and slumped into the chair behind his desk. He dug his fingers into his temple, trying in vain to rid himself of this impossible headache.

"What should I do, Francis?" He mumbled, not raising his head as the younger man stood and crossed the room. "Arthur belongs here, but damned fate has tied him to the sister world." His fingers slipped into his hair, tugging at the roots. "You're his friend. What would you suggest?"

Francis sighed, adjusting his ponytail so it hung over his shoulder. "I don't think it wise to separate the two of them so soon after the bond has been made. It may be hazardous to the two of them. The magic is unpredictable, we cannot be sure of its behaviour."

"Yeah, yeah, I know all that. He's my brother, Francis. And while it may be a certain duty of mine to annoy the living daylights out of him, he is still my flesh and blood." He covered his eyes, shoulders heaving as he flopped backwards in his seat. "I don't want to see him hurt because of this."

"No." Francis almost whispered, his eyes lowering to look at his feet. "My lord is sentimental."

"Shut it, git." William growled, not looking up.

"You may not see it, William, but you and Arthur are very much alike. You know that he cares for Alfred very much, and it would take little, if none, to persuade him that Alfred needs to be sent back to his home. However, I do believe that in the current situation, it would be best for Arthur to accompany him." He paused, meeting the other man's eyes, "The breech between the worlds is unpredictable, and we cannot be sure of where he would land. Arthur going with him should provide some kind of direction to their travel. Also, under the circumstances, I believe that Arthur would want to see his beloved recover with his own eyes, rather than be left with many uncertainties."

William let out a long breath, finally standing again, "Yer right. Of course you are." He circled the desk, standing at one of the bookcases for a moment before turning back to the younger man, "Can you make the arrangements?"

"I shall speak with Arthur at once." Francis smiled, bowing his head slightly.

"And Francis."

"Yes, my lord?"

"You will go with him, won't you?"

"It would be my pleasure, my lord." He took another bow, and left the room.

* * *

Arthur found himself getting more and more disorientated as time passed. He had spent the days since Alfred collapsed at his bedside, never once leaving it. He held tight onto the sleeping teen's hand, fearing that if he let go then Alfred would disappear altogether.

He let his fingers run through Alfred's hair, wiping away the cold sweat that had gathered on his forehead. The boy's expression was calm for now, though every now and then it would suddenly become pained, his jaw clenching and eyes screwed tightly shut.

It had been four days. And Alfred still hadn't woken up.

Lukas had come and gone, closely followed by Andersen, as usual, repeating what the fae had warned, and the potential solution to it all.

It wasn't the most welcome of news. Of course he wanted Alfred to recover. He'd do _anything_. But was Alfred really in any condition to be sent through the breech and be exposed to even more magic.

His heart clenched.

Was he, himself, really ready to see them part ways?

He didn't want to think about it.

The door opened, and Arthur didn't have to look up to know that it was Francis who had entered.

Neither spoke. Francis merely crossed the room, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder as the younger blonde's face cracked, leaning forward to hold Alfred's hand even closer to himself.

He had expected Francis to make some unfunny comment about him crying so openly, but none came. The hand tightened on his shoulder in attempt to comfort him, and, in truth, it did help, though it did not bring the reassurance that he needed.

"Arthur, we must talk." Francis finally said once Arthur had calmed down, though his eyes remained blotchy and swollen. "You know that we must send Alfred back to the sister world. It is essential that we do so."

"I poisoned him, Francis." Arthur muttered, not looking up.

"You did no such thing. _Mon Dieu,_ Arthur. Get your act together and stop wallowing in self-pity. It is most unbecoming." Francis frowned, forcing Arthur to turn and look at him. "Do you wish to help the boy or not?"

"I don't need you to tell me that." Arthur spat, glaring up at his friend. "It goes without saying that I want to help him. Of course I do! I don't need you patronising me about it."

"Well good then." Francis stood up to his full height, and while he and Arthur were pretty much the same height, the air Francis held about himself could make one feel like an insect in his wake. It was also why the girls of the village often lined up to see if their red line connected to his. "I suggest you get ready. You know more of the sister world than I do. And I do not wish to travel unprepared."

Arthur stopped, his glaring fading as he stared up at the man in front of him. "What're you…?"

Francis chuckled, his smile erupting back onto his features, "You did not think we would send him back alone? Of course we shall be accompanying him."

"'We'?" Arthur questioned, the crease in his brow returning ever so slightly.

"_Oui_." Francis nodded, shrugging. "There will be affairs to set in order before we return, I should imagine. Your brother also does not wish for you to travel there alone. That and I was denied my journey the last time we both attempted to cross the breech. It is a most welcome opportunity."

"You slimy git of a bearded frog." Arthur shook his head in disbelief. "You'd better not make my brother regret his trust in you. I would hate to imagine the consequences." He smirked, knowing only too well Francis's reasons were nothing more than excuses. "The extra company would be appreciated though, I suppose. With things as they are, it is probably best that we both go."

"I knew you would see the light." Francis turned, heading back to the door. "I shall make the necessary arrangements."

"Yes." Arthur paused, thinking for a moment. "And Francis."

"_Oui?_" He turned, smile still in place.

"Thank you." Arthur looked away, his attention going back to Alfred as Francis's smile widened and he swept from the room.

Well, Arthur thought, stroking his hand through Alfred's hair once again, looks like he was going back far sooner than he had imagined.

* * *

**[A/N:** I'm sorry! I know I'm late again!

I got massive writer's block in the middle of doing this chapter and was literally using anything (including chocolate) as an excuse not to finish it.

We're actually coming up to the end here. The next chapter, depending on how I write it, may very well be the last from what I have planned for it.

I do, in fact, know how I'm going to end this series. Sad times =(

Thanks for putting up with me, guys!

I love you all~! 3


	5. The Beginning in the End

**What Your Eyes Can't See**

_Chapter Five_

* * *

There was a heavy weight on his chest. It pierced through, holding firmly onto his heart and though it was no longer painful as it had been, it still shed a great heat all over his body. It was pleasant and warm, tingling all over him like a little light.

Alfred would've smiled if his head wasn't in agony, though. It felt like it was splitting in two. He squeezed his eyes shut, raising one hand to his forehead in some attempt to ease the throbbing.

The pillows felt familiar under his head and when he cracked open his eyes the crack of light entering the room from the blinds was the same he had woken up to so many times.

He was home.

Alfred had no idea how long he'd been out of it. The last thing he remembered he had been with Arthur back in his world. Now here he was, lying in his own bed, head pounding, and there really _was_ a weight on his chest.

He shifted, tilting his head up to look blearily around the room, the furniture still all in its usual places, along with his mess. His gaze landed, however, on the arm resting across him, holding onto his other hand and cradling it in its grasp. He followed the limb, his expression softening as his eyes found Arthur's form, fast asleep at the edge of the bed.

There were deep circles around the older blonde's eyes, his face that little bit too pale and his hair even messier than its usual scruffy appearance.

He found himself smiling at the sight, flinching slightly as his head panged again, and moved to run his free hand through Arthur's sandy hair, smoothing it out as best he could.

He'd brought him back. _Arthur_ had brought him back. And he had stayed.

"Alfred?"

The door pushed open, revealing a very tired looking Matthew, carrying a small bowl of water and a cloth. His glasses were slightly askew on his face, his eyes wide with obvious worry.

"When did you wake up? No, never mind that. How're you feeling? You need to stay lying down." He rambled off, hurrying into the room and putting the bowl down on Alfred's bedside table.

"Matt, I'm _fine_." Alfred struggled a little against his twin's attempts to make him lie back against his pillows. "My head just kinda hurts. You'll wake up Arthur."

"He is right, Mathieu." Alfred knew exactly who had spoken even before Francis appeared around the door. "Arthur has not slept in days. It is about time he got some rest."

Matthew stood up straight again, frowning down at his brother. "I know that." He huffed, "But I've been worried sick."

"Mattie-"

"_Don't_ give me that, Al." It was rare for Matt to lose his temper. He got anger, yeah, but he would usually stay fairly passive about it. "You disappear for days without as much as a word. You're lucky mom and dad didn't call the police when I told them-"

"You called mom and dad?" Now it was Alfred's turn to shout, sitting up a little too quickly, his head spinning.

"Yes, I called them! I didn't know what to do, Al! I didn't know what had happened to you!" He took a deep breath, almost glaring down at Alfred. "Mom went ballistic when Francis and Arthur brought you back. She was going to get them arrested!"

"They came home?"

"Of course they came home! Would you expect any different when they'd just been told their son had vanished? Come on, Al. Get some common sense!" He was glaring now. The usually quiet boy positively seething. "It took a hell of a lot to convince them that these two weren't gonna kill you and that you'd be alright."

"Alright, I get it." Alfred tried not to yell back at him, "I'm fine now. They can fuck back off to whatever little corner of the world they'd gone to this time."

"They've already left." Matthew grumbled, turning his back on the older twin. "They've had enough of it Al. You doing whatever you want without even _thinking_ that it may be causing who knows what trouble. And so have I."

"What?" Alfred sat up straight, staring at his brother's back.

Matthew whipped round, still glaring, though he looked more exasperated than anything else. "I've had enough, Al." He sighed, running his hand through his hair, the frown lessening. "I'm fed up with sitting on the side-lines waiting for you to realise that I exist. You never _listen_. And it's 'cause of that that you have no idea just what's going on around here. You're oblivious. You always have been."

He took a few steps towards the door, ignoring Francis as he passed him. "I'm leaving Al. I talked to mom and dad about it ages ago while you were too _busy_ to pay attention. I was going to the local college, Al."

"Matt, what're you talking about?" He flinched, his head panging again.

"I'm moving away with Gil." Matt looked back over his shoulder, his expression sad behind the crease in his brows. "I need to get away from you. Just like mom and dad did. Everything's been arranged for months. I'm going in a few days, and that's the end of it."

"Matt! Wait!" Alfred went to try and stand, but the arm across him clamped down, holding him in place on the bed as Matthew disappeared from the room, his footsteps vanishing down the stairs.

"Let him go, Alfred." A voice mumbled from next to him. "He needs his space right now."

Alfred huffed, letting himself fall back into the pillows as Arthur sat up, groaning slightly after sleeping in such a strange position.

"He's been worried sick over you since you disappeared with me."

"You heard all that?" Alfred mumbled, not quite meeting the other's gaze.

"To be honest with you, Alfred, it was quite impossible to sleep through it. Especially since you kept moving." He gave Alfred a small smile, patting his hand before pushing himself to his feet.

"While this is all very touching," Francis spoke up from his place by the door, making Alfred jump. He'd almost forgotten the other man was still standing there. "I do believe that there are matters that need discussing."

"Save it, frog." Arthur rolled his eyes, his lips quirking up slightly again. "He's only just woken up. There's enough bad air in here to fill a banshee. Give Alfred some time to fully recover, then we'll talk."

Francis sighed, running a hand through his hair and flicking it out of his eyes. "Very well. However this cannot be put off forever."

"I know." He nodded shortly, moving around to the other side of the bed and sitting down.

Alfred found himself looking between the two, not entirely sure what they were talking about, but every time he tried to think his head would twinge again.

Francis seemed to sense the confusion, that all too familiar smile growing on his features. "Ah, but I seem to be interrupting." He chuckled, winking at the other two occupants of the room. "I suppose I shall go and see if Gilbert is properly looking after Mathieu. Excuse me, _mes amis_."

He may as well have skipped out of the room with the tone of his laugh as he left. He seemed far too pleased with the situation than he should have been.

Arthur grunted, frowning after his friend. "It's times like these that I wonder why on earth I actually let him help me bring you back." He kicked the door shut from where he was sitting and yawned. "But, I suppose it meant that I didn't have to use up too much of my magic."

"He helped?" Alfred sat up, ignoring the annoying pang his head gave in complaint.

"Well, I can talk this time, right?" He turned around, and Alfred could have sworn he'd seen a smile again, but if he had it had disappeared just as quickly. "I had a hand from Lukas as well."

"Lukas?" Alfred remembered something about that name, though he had been pretty out of it at the time. It had been one of those brief moments when he had been awake but too dizzy to realise just what was going on around him. He remembered something about spirits and fairies, or something.

"He is a friend of mine." Arthur shifted so that he was sitting next to Alfred on the bed, leaning back against the pillows. "Unlike most, he and I are able to converse with the spirits in Avalon. He was the first person I met with that gift apart from myself. My brother's would goad me for it and tell me I was lying, so I was glad that I was not the only one."

He sighed, hugging his knees against his chest and doing his utmost not to meet Alfred's gaze. He could practically feel the other teen's eyes boring into him, making the urge to look at him almost unbearable.

The bed covers shifted and a weight appeared next to him as an arm wrapped around his waist, Alfred's head resting on top of his own. He could feel the heat rising in his face, and he screwed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the warm breaths tickling around his ear.

"I'm sorry." Alfred mumbled, squeezing Arthur shortly and taking a long breath.

"W-what?" Arthur cursed inwardly for stuttering, praying that Alfred hadn't noticed.

"I caused a lot of trouble back then. I mean, how unheroic is it for me to collapse and you have to bring me back. Kinda pathetic, huh?" He let out a short laugh.

"Are you stupid?" Arthur tried to keep his voice calm, "Why on earth are you apologising? It's me who should be sorry!" He pulled away so that he was facing Alfred, wishing that the surprise wasn't quite so obvious in his eyes. "If it wasn't for me and my damned magic none of this would've ever happened. You could have just carried on with your life, untroubled by me and my world. You wouldn't be left in this state. You'd be able to live your life happily, finding someone who wouldn't cause you pain, or suffering, or-"

He was cut off as a pair of lips closed over his, leaving a chaste kiss before Alfred retreated, smiling softly at his flustered partner.

"You were rambling." He chuckled, reaching his hand out and brushing his thumb over Arthur's (extremely red) cheek. "And you're really mean, you know that?"

Arthur stared at him, unable to understand the amusement in the other teen's voice. "_I'm_ mean?"

"Well, think about it." Alfred smiled, leaning their foreheads together, those oh too blue eyes boring straight into him. "Aren't you _happy_ that we met? 'Cause I sure as hell am. I never would have imagined that magic, actual _magic_, existed, but here you are, some guy from another world, sitting in my room with me, and dude it's fucking _awesome_. You say that you're causing me pain and shit? I say you're crazy. You said this connection is destiny, right?" He closed his eyes, his grin growing, "Well, that means that whatever happens, we can work through it all, right?"

Arthur felt his face getting unbearably hot as Alfred tilted his head up, taking care to keep his touch gentle. "Alfred?"

His eyes slipped closed as their lips met once more. He really couldn't think of an argument against what Alfred had said. The bond was not something he ever wanted to break, not that he had the power to. He really couldn't bear the thought of Alfred being hurt because of being bonded to him, but it truly was beyond their control. The confusion that had been building up inside him finally made sense and the answer had been in front of him the whole time. He didn't need logic to explain what he had been feeling. Not when this idiotic boy could put it so plainly. But he could find no fault in that. It was just too endearing.

"I can still feel it." Alfred whispered, placing Arthur's hand over his heart. "Right here."

Arthur could feel Alfred's heart beating under his shirt, the pace quick, mimicking his own. He was relieved to see that he was not the only one whose face was adorned with a smattering of pink as Alfred smiled, looking down at him.

Alfred paused, pulling Arthur that little bit closer again, "When we met I had no idea where you were from, but I still picked you up and brought you back here. Sure, back then I just thought I was being the hero. But, y'know, maybe Matt was _supposed_ to find you there. 'Cause that's how we found each other."

Arthur's eyes widened momentarily before his expression softened and he couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "You're utterly ridiculous, do you know that? You make no sense whatsoever. But yes, maybe even without all this fiasco we would have met. We will never know for certain, though, because that's the past. And I wouldn't change it."

"Not for the world." Alfred laughed, leaning their foreheads together.

"_Worlds_." He corrected softly, barely making a sound, and meeting the younger teen halfway as he allowed himself to be pushed backwards gently, Alfred kneeling over him.

He was cupping Arthur's cheek lightly, making circles on his cheek with his thumb until he finally leant down and pressed their lips together once more, still holding Arthur so gently that it was as though he was made of glass. It was only when Arthur wrapped his arms around the younger blonde's shoulders to deepen the kiss that Alfred truly let himself sink into it without any inhibitions. It was just the two of them. And right then, right at that moment, that was enough.

•••

A few days later saw a loaded pick-up truck sitting outside the house, Gilbert trying to squeeze the last of Matthew's luggage in with his own while the younger twin finished up inside.

He turned, taking a final look at the hallway when he was nearly knocked off his feet by the thundering figure that was his brother.

Alfred had come thundering down the stairs, refusing to stay in bed a moment longer. He was not going to let Matthew just leave without regaining any understanding between them. They were twins, for fuck's sake!

He bumped their foreheads together, their glasses clashing slightly as refused to let the younger twin out of the bear hug. "We stick together no matter what, right?" He frowned, expression utterly serious.

Matt stood frozen, staring at Alfred. It took him a few seconds to recognise it, but this was Alfred, and he could never do anything in a way that made sense. He never was one to just come out and apologise.

His expression softened, smiling at the identical face in front of him and nodded. "Like always."

Alfred grinned, clapping Matt on the back. "Get going then. And if that jerk tries anything then he'll have me to answer to."

"Of course." Matt shook his head, grabbing his last bag. He looked up the stairs to where Arthur was standing quietly, watching the two brothers. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, eh?"

"That may be difficult." Arthur chuckled, descending a few steps and ignoring the loud protests that followed from Alfred, "But I will do my very best."

Matt looked between them, breathing out a sigh as his smile grew. He clasped Alfred's shoulder, "Take care, okay?"

"You too." Alfred beamed, pushing his brother back a couple of paces. "Now get going before your ride goes without you."

Alfred had stood on the doorstep, watching his brother climb into the truck and drive away. He stayed there even after they had disappeared around the corner at the end of the street and was long gone.

It was only when Arthur came down the last few stairs and joined him at the door, carefully threading their fingers together that he let his shoulders drop and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

That night Arthur lay staring at the ceiling, idly combing his fingers through Alfred's hair as the younger teen's head rested across his chest. The sunny blonde had fallen asleep almost instantly as soon as he had started the motion, the weight of Matthew leaving finally disappearing now that he slumbered. However, this left Arthur wide awake in the pitch black, the small sounds of Alfred's breathing doing nothing to soothe him as his thoughts sped around his mind.

Truly, all good things must end.

•••

Something was up. He was sure of it.

It had to be at least five times Alfred had walked into the room only for Arthur and Francis to abruptly stop talking and turn their attentions to other things. Arthur would look awkward and worried every time whereas Francis would simply brush it off and busy himself by borrowing the kitchen.

What's more, they practically avoided all forms of conversation with him. Alfred often saw Arthur out in the garden, huddled in a corner and when he tried to approach him he would rush off somewhere else.

It hurt. So much so that he found himself taking it out on the first thing that came to him, which was more often than not, his video games. He even turned down meeting up with Kiku and the others, ignoring the fact that most of them were also heading away to college in the next few weeks.

He felt more alone than ever.

Usually he would have Matt there to take his frustration out on, but that was out of the question now. He was isolated in his own home.

It was only when, one afternoon, he walked into the living room to be met with a rapid silence and the two older blondes blinking at him that he finally snapped.

"Don't stop. I don't wanna interrupt anything." He glowered, skulking to the other side of the room.

"Ah, no. It's fine." Arthur stood, giving him a small smile and turned to leave.

"What the fuck, man?" He hadn't meant to yell, but it had done the job and Arthur had spun back around, looking flabbergast.

He suddenly found himself lost for words, simply staring at Arthur, not knowing how to follow up on his outburst, but also not daring to break eye-contact. He was not stupid, he knew when something was being hidden from him, and this was most definitely was one of those times.

He felt childish for shouting, but he'd done it now and the other two were waiting for him to continue, no matter how much he didn't want to.

"Y-You never tell me anything anymore." He cursed inwardly for tripping over his words, but kept going despite his head screaming at him to stop. "I know you're hiding something from me – don't deny it – and I'm sick of people trying to isolate and _protect_ me when I don't know what I supposed to be being protected from. I'm not a kid, dammit!"

"Alfred, I-"

"You what? Thought I wouldn't get mad?"

"Don't be stupid." Arthur snapped back abruptly, the look of dismay vanishing from his features to be replaced by a sour frown. "Of course I knew you would be angry. What do you take me for? I'm no fool."

"Then what the _fuck_ are you trying to prove? I've gotten angry! Are you satisfied now?"

"Alfred, this is not about trying to prove anything." Francis cut across this bickering, trying to calm the storm, but only ended up on the receiving end of both of the other two's glares.

"Stay out of this, frog." Arthur hissed, returning his gaze to Alfred. "This does not concern you."

Francis started slight at Arthur's tone, but quickly regained his usual composure, ducked his head a fraction and left the room, mumbling a polite apology for his 'intrusion'.

They remained in silence for what seemed like an age, neither deeming it wise to disturb the peace, but continued their stares nonetheless. Until finally, as though he couldn't bare it any longer, Arthur sighed, closing his eyes and tilted his head away from Alfred.

"I should have known that you, of all people, never would have fallen for my avoidance." He took a few steps back into the centre of the room and let himself flop unceremoniously onto the sofa, his head in his hands. "I really should have seen this coming. But I guess I really am a fool after all."

Alfred didn't move, just maintaining his stare at the older blonde, though his frown had lessened.

Arthur took his silence as a sign to continue, no matter how much he wished for the confrontation to just disappear. "All things must end, Alfred. No matter how much we wish them not to. It's painful, but we must find ways to endure it."

"What're you talking about?" He finally took a step closer, the confusion plain on his face. Why was everything Arthur said in some form of cryptic message?

Arthur didn't answer straight away, instead running his hand through his hair and pressing the other to his temple. He leaned over so that his forehead was almost resting on his knees before he gave his reply. "Us. The future. I don't even know anymore." He gave a shaking laugh, threatening to pull his hair out with how hard he was grasping it. "I can't think of what to do. I've always known what to do next. I've always had clear plans in my head. But when it comes to you I- I just don't know."

"Future?" Alfred couldn't help but be confused. None of what the Arthur was saying made any sense. "What are you rambling about, Arthur? Don't know what?"

"I don't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you!" He blurted it out faster than he had intended and continued to hide his face, hoping that Alfred couldn't see how red it had become.

"What?" Alfred couldn't help but gape at the older teen, not quite knowing what to make of the statement.

"I don't know!" Arthur shouted into his hands, hating how embarrassing it was for him to admit how much he'd been worrying over it all. "Just forget it, okay! Forget I ever said anything."

He stood, turning his back to Alfred in some vain attempt to conceal his flushed face, but was predictably thwarted. Arthur quickly found himself being spun back around, the taller blonde grasping his shoulders to stop him from moving. "I'm not letting go until you tell me what you meant."

His arms flopped to his sides, his eyes directed at a point on the floor rather than at the stern look that he knew was being shot at him. Arthur took several deep breaths, his mouth feeling far too dry as he swallowed. "I can't stay here forever." He almost whispered it, hating the way it sounded as soon as the words passed his lips. But it was true, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. "I want to! God knows I want to. But…" He sighed, struggling to find the right words. "One day my magic will run out, and you saw what happened last time I came close to that happening. My body can't support itself. I feel so bloody useless! And then there's the bond. I don't know what will happen to it once I pass through the void and-!" He stopped, eyes wide, staring at the floor. All the thoughts he'd kept at the back of his mind were suddenly surging forward, ready to burst out. "I thought that if I were to leave with you hating me, then it would be better for the both of us."

And then he found himself being pulled forward, strong arms wrapping around his frame and enveloping him.

Alfred held him tightly, his anger from mere minutes ago all but forgotten. "You're an idiot, y'know that?" He chuckled, nuzzling slightly into the smaller teen's hair, making it even messier. Arthur's protest was muffled and weak, barely putting up any form of argument as Alfred ignored it and continued. "You've only been seeing some stupid pessimistic future, right? But what makes you so sure that that's what's gonna happen?"

"I don't know!" Arthur finally pushed away far enough that he could look at Alfred, rather than over his shoulder. "I just think that way. I can't help it. Every time I think about it I just imagine what would happen if we were to be separated and the bond would break, or disappear, or if you were affected by it again and that just _terrifies_ me! I couldn't bare it if something were to happen to you because of me!"

"Arthur." He pressed a finger to the other blonde's lips, silencing him, despite the worried look on his face. He had to stay strong for the both of them. "No matter what happens, if we're separated or whatever shit, none of this will ever be your fault. You remember what I said before? We can work through whatever fate throws at us. It let us meet, so it sure as hell ain't gonna break us up now, even if we are in different worlds, alright?"

Arthur sighed, allowing his head to fall forwards so that it rested on Alfred's shoulder, his bangs sticking up in all directions as he let out a long breath. "This isn't you trying to act like the hero again, is it?"

"No." Alfred chuckled, tipping the smaller blonde's chin up so that he could smile into Arthur's face properly. "This is me trying to reassure you. Is it working?"

"A little, perhaps." Arthur smiled, still not quite meeting Alfred's eyes.

"Well then," Alfred's laughter grew softer as he leant down, levelling himself with Arthur's ear, "maybe this will convince you."

He mouthed the words, barely making them audible above the slightest whisper. The smile remained ever present on his face even as he stood up straight again, admiring the disbelieving look he had left on Arthur's face.

"Alfred, you…" Arthur truly was lost for words. He could do nothing but gawk at the very smug looking blonde. His only condolence was that despite the smirk sat on his face, Alfred too was an extremely deep shade of red.

"You think I'm lying?" Alfred ran his thumb over Arthur's cheek, smoothing over some of the flush, all the while still beaming.

"God, no." He breathed, looping his arms around the other's shoulders and properly smiled for the first time in days.

•••

Alfred stood in silence in the back yard, watching as the other two worked to complete the circle. He couldn't bring himself to move closer and watch as the final preparations for their departure took shape, however inevitable it had become.

Arthur had awoken that morning feeling dizzy and it had taken a great deal of effort for him to be able to stand up, even when Alfred had rushed around to support him. He could still speak for now, but it was only a matter of time before that was also lost. His magic was running out, as was Francis's, and they had to return to Avalon before they lost the ability to do so.

It had all happened a lot sooner than he had thought.

Francis stood up, toeing the last small pebble into place as he readjusted his ponytail. He was looking just as tired as Arthur, the usual sheen he carried himself with almost completely gone. Though unlike his friend, he was grateful to be returning to Avalon. Yes, it had been the most welcome of experiences, finally witnessing for himself what the sister world was actually like. He had met its residents, spoken with them, even laughed with them. But there was nothing more welcoming than the thought of seeing his own home again.

"It's finished." Arthur mumbled, pushing himself to his feet, one hand massaging his forehead as he looked down at the completed circle with as much distaste as he could muster.

"Indeed." Francis let a small smile slip onto his features, his eyes glancing in the direction of where Alfred stood a few metres away, still making no sign of moving any closer. "Are you ready, Arthur?"

Alfred's head snapped up, staring bewilderedly between the other two. Was that it? Were they leaving just like that?

And then he saw the look on Arthur's face and his panic vanished.

Arthur's eyes were fixed on a point of the ground, not looking at either Francis or Alfred. His expression was sad, almost painful to experience on Alfred's part. But it was there. Oh, it was most _definitely_ there. The look of having to do something very much against his will, even if he had no choice in the matter.

"Not quite." He spoke quietly, knowing all too well that he didn't have long before he would need to be ready, whether he wanted to be or not. His eyes found Alfred, still rooted to the spot and let a small, weak smile slip onto his lips.

He crossed the lawn in a few short steps, never once letting his gaze shift away from those perfect blue eyes. And when he was finally within reaching distance, without really knowing who had made the first movement, they fell into each other's arms, clinging to one another as though there was no care left in the world.

Alfred buried his head into Arthur's hair, taking in the feel of it, the way he smelt, looked, everything. He wanted to remember every little detail.

"You'll be alright?" Arthur's voice was soft, barely audible, but filled with so much emotion that it said so much more.

"Me?" Alfred smiled into the sandy blonde hair, "I'm a hero, remember. Of course I'll be awesome!"

"Git." He chuckled, closing his eyes and leaning on Alfred's shoulder. "I'll come back." His voice was muffled but clear enough to make out. "As soon as I can."

"I know." Alfred pressed his lips to the crown of Arthur's head, lingering for a few seconds before resting his chin there instead.

"Arthur, we cannot linger much longer." Francis called over from where he was standing, eying the circle still laid out perfectly on the grass.

"Alright, alright." Arthur called over his shoulder, his eyebrows naturally slipping downwards into a frown. He sighed, relaxing his shoulders, moving his hands so that they rested on Alfred's. "Turn around, frog."

"Oh?" Francis quirked an eyebrow, smirking. "And why, may I ask, must I do that?"

"Just damn well do it!" He knew his face must have been beet-red, and that Francis was still goading him even when he did eventually turn his back on the two, but he had more important things to be worrying about. Like the big idiot in front of him whose arms were still wrapped around his waist, smiling away like a buffoon. He busied himself adjusting the collar of Alfred's t-shirt, his hands lingering there for longer than necessary before he huffed and gave him, winding his arms around the idiot's neck and pressing their lips together. To hell with it all, nothing but nothing was more important than Alfred at that moment.

It was a short kiss, nothing more than chaste really, but it still left that bubbling sensation in the pit of Alfred's stomach. He couldn't help but grin down at Arthur when the older teen turned his head away, blushing furiously.

"It's not goodbye." Arthur muttered, still not meeting Alfred's eyes. "We'll see each other again."

"Yeah." Alfred beamed, forcing Arthur to look up at him and pecking him again on the nose. "I'll be waiting."

"Don't be foolish." His frown lessened, giving way to a sort of lopsided smile. "The amount of mess you cause would make it highly difficult not to be able to find you."

"Hey! Don't be mean!"

"Besides," Arthur continued, ignoring Alfred's idiotic puppy-dog pout. "I have something that will guide me to you, whatever happens, right?"

Alfred couldn't help it. He was just so utterly besotted with him. Every little thing that made up Arthur was just so _perfect._ "Right." He almost whispered it as he placed their foreheads together, letting his eyes fall shut, taking in everything that was Arthur.

He felt Arthur move, hands being placed gently on either side of his face as it was tilted down and a feather kiss placed where they had been touching.

They separated, Arthur taking a step back, a sad smile fixed on his face mirroring the one on Alfred's as their hands lingered together for a few moments longer. He nodded, not wanting to hear the words, their temporary farewell. They would meet again.

Arthur stepped towards the circle, Francis having already stepped into it, murmuring a few words under his breath that Alfred didn't understand. He made his way into the centre, reaching his hand out and willing for his power not to falter.

The glow of the magic was incredible. Alfred couldn't take his eyes off the vibrant green he'd come to adore mingling with a glittering lilac that literally sparkled around Francis's fingertips. It took all his effort not to look away from them and just as the light reached its climax his eyes met Arthur's and then they were gone.

He walked up to the circle, the wind spiralling around it still, and let his eyes rest, unfocused, on the stones that lay there, still in place.

He was gone.

•••

Alfred didn't really know what to do with himself after that.

He had moved that stones out of their positions as he had been instructed by Francis before their departure.

"_We cannot have any stray beings wandering through the void now, can we?"_

Arthur had not had to worry over any consequences of him leaving. He was not in any kind of pain and the slight heat over his heart still remained, though it was beating a lot faster now.

He was still in dismay over how quickly it had all happened. But it would do no good to just stay stood there on the lawn, staring into the space where Arthur had vanished.

He went back into the house, walking straight through the kitchen to the hallway and up to his room. For once in his life, he wasn't hungry. He wasn't anything right then. There was too much space in the house. He wasn't used to it anymore. It felt too big and unwelcome.

He flopped down on the bed, letting his eyes wander aimlessly around the room, trying to find _something_ to focus on that would take his mind off of these things.

Which is when it caught his eye.

A slip of paper which had most definitely _not_ been there that morning when he had woken up.

He snatched it up from the bedside table, immediately recognising the looped italic writing. He had seen it so many times when it was their only means of communicating.

It had been ripped from the notebook, which was lying somewhere in the piles of mess that had accumulated in the bedroom, and had very few words written on it. But they said more to Alfred than he could have ever wished for.

"_Alfred,_

_When you read this I will be beyond your reach, and for that I am truly regretful._

_But know this: even if I am unable to say it out loud, as I am not a 'hero' like you, I would do anything to be able to stay by your side._

_I love you._

_Arthur."_

•••

Arthur stormed through the manor, ignoring anyone he passed. He didn't want to see anyone. He didn't want to speak to anyone. He just wanted to be _alone_.

Francis could do little to keep up with him, practically having to sprint in order to remain in sight of the younger blonde. Eventually, though, he had to stop, as Arthur hurtled through his bedroom door, slamming it shut behind him.

"Francis." He turned to see William striding toward him, an edge of worry to his hard eyes, "You've returned."

"Indeed, my lord." Francis frowned, turning back to the door. "It is going to be a difficult road for the two of them."

William leant on the wall, his gaze not moving from Francis. "It's to be expected. The bond didn't break?"

"No." Francis closed his eyes, resting his back to the door, hoping that Arthur had done what he had expected him to do and had sneaked out of his window and into the woods surrounding the forest as he usually did. "The line appeared again on our re-entry to Avalon, and it disappears just as it had done before. They remain connected even through the void."

"But that just makes even more problems." William sighed, "Only my brother would be able to cause this much trouble."

"William," Francis tilted his head to look at him, the concern only too evident on his features, "this may be overreaching my boundaries but…"

William held up his hand, cutting him off, a wry smile set on his face. "Francis, you've been a loyal friend to us all for as long as any of us can remember. You're free to ask what you want."

Francis's face relaxed, his lips tugging upwards. "Well, then I must request something of you."

•••

Alfred practically bounded out of the building, swinging his bag onto his back as he made his way down the street, headphones firmly plugged into his ears. He was going to buy a burger, go home and veg for the rest of the evening.

It had been six months since he had moved out of his parent's house, having landed himself a decent job. It was about time he took the initiative and started living by himself, even if the apartment he was renting wasn't all that big or luxurious. But he still liked it. It suited him just fine.

He yawned, pulling his headphones out of his ears and shoving his phone to the bottom of his bag. No calls tonight. He had a date with his sofa.

He took a large bite of the burger he'd bought, dawdling down the pavement towards his apartment block, not really paying any attention to the surroundings he saw on a daily basis.

But then something caught his eye. A flash of blonde hair in the parking lot next to the building. Very _scruffy sandy_ blonde hair.

He shook his head. No. This had to be the millionth time he'd kidded himself into thinking it was him. There were a bazillion people out there with scruffy blonde hair. And perfect emerald green eyes. And gigantic eyebrows.

And then the figure stood up straight and saw him, freezing on the spot.

Alfred couldn't help but run, dropping his food in the road as he sprinted over, not caring who saw and he swept that breath-taking man up into his arms.

Arthur was laughing through his complaints of _"put me down this instant, you wonderful git!"_ He was back. He was _back!_ And he was smiling and just completely and utterly perfect!

Alfred finally calmed down long enough to place Arthur back on his own feet, though he wasn't about to let go of him any time soon. He might disappear again at any moment.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to see you." Arthur breathed, clinging on to Alfred just as tightly as the younger blonde was holding on to him.

"No more than how much I've wanted to see _you_."

"When did this become a competition?" He chuckled, cupping Alfred's cheeks as if he could hardly believe he was in his arms.

"How long can you stay?" He had to ask. He was still scared that Arthur could just vanish in the blink of an eye.

Arthur paused, staring straight into Alfred's eyes. "How long do you want me to stay?"

"_Forever._" He couldn't help it. That's what he wanted even if it was impossible.

"Okay."

He thought he'd misheard it. Arthur _couldn't_ have just said that. But he had. He _had._

"You have every right to be confused, Alfred." Arthur chuckled, lowering his hands to rest on Alfred's shoulders. "But in the meantime, you look exhausted. Maybe we should move inside? I am right in assuming one of these places belongs to you, aren't I?"

"Ah, yeah." Alfred was lost for words, even as he led Arthur inside and up the couple of flights of stairs to his apartment. He still couldn't quite believe that he was there with him just as he had wished for all those months since he had left. "H-how?"

"Ancient magic, Alfred. Magic that I had just believed to be a myth." He sat down without hesitation, beckoning for Alfred to join him. "It makes my own power dormant, barely traceable. My brother performed the necessary functions at Francis's request, I believe. I can no longer use my magic and it no longer effects the way my body functions. I can stay here for as long as I wish."

"How did you find me?"

"Your neighbour, a strange man wearing women's clothing, gave me your address." Arthur scrunched his nose up at the memory. "He and who I assumed was his partner gave me the necessary directions. I was worried that I'd gotten lost when there was no sign of you though. People kept staring at me while I was waiting outside."

Alfred couldn't help but laugh at the memory of his parent's neighbours. He'd have to thank them the next time he saw them. But, for now, he was more concerned about the person sitting right in front of him. "Do you want to stay?"

Arthur's eyes went wide in disbelief. He could throttle this boy sometimes, and if he didn't care for him so much, he probably would have done already. "Alfred, if I did not want to stay, then I would not have followed my heart and come here."

"Then?"

"I will stay for as long as you'll have me."

He couldn't help it. He had to cheer as he literally tackled Arthur against the sofa, touching every inch of him, holding him, kissing him, taking in his every essence.

Of course he would have him! No question!

He stopped, looking down at the figure lying below him, those eyes staring straight back up at him, half-lidded and looking just as happy as he felt. Alfred felt the butterflies return to his stomach, but ignored them, instead leaning down and pressing their lips together as Arthur's arms wound around his shoulders and pulled him down closer.

Their breath mixed together, spreading the warmth throughout their bodies as they lay there together, legs tangled and hands scrambling to keep a hold on each other.

Alfred could feel Arthur smiling into the kiss just as much as he was and it was just _perfect_.

He may not have been able to see it, and there may not have been magic involved, but as far as Alfred was concerned, _this_ was happiness.

And that was all they needed.

* * *

**[A/N:** That's it guys! The End.

Thank you so much for the support throughout this. Yes, it's only 5 chapters long, but I never intended it to be any long than that.

I meant to get this out sooner but so many things have been going on in the last couple of weeks that I got a bit bogged down (in between my birthday and moving out of my flat and going out to various places).

I really hope you enjoyed reading the final chapter as much as I loved writing it.

You never know, maybe I'll write for this AU again one day (wink, wink =p)

I love you all!

As a side note:

Someone pointed out to me that I forgot to label a couple of names in the last chapter.

**Lukas** and **Andersen** are Norway and Denmark respectively. They were potential names given by Hima-sensei a little while ago.**]**


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